Carbon Emissions: Business

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many FTSE 100 companies meet minimum reporting guidelines on greenhouse gas emissions;
	(2)  what steps have been taken to encourage FTSE 100 companies to include information on carbon dioxide emissions in their annual reports.

Phil Woolas: The Government require companies and industries to report on their Greenhouse Gas emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), in a standardised way. For example, all installations taking part in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme must monitor and report their CO2 emissions in accordance with guidelines produced by the European Commission.
	The Carbon Reduction Commitment, which will come into force in 2010, will require companies involved in the mandatory trading scheme to monitor their energy use and report it annually in a standardised format. This will cover a large number of FTSE 100 companies.
	In addition, from 1 October 2007, quoted companies have been required to ensure that their Business Review includes information on environmental matters to the extent necessary for an understanding of the development, performance or position of the company's business. The first reports under this new regime will not be published until later this year.
	The Government have also supported the work of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). This is a voluntary investor-driven approach aimed at encouraging companies to disclose greenhouse gas emissions data. In 2007, 91 per cent. of FTSE 100 companies disclosed to CDP. This is an increase from 83 per cent. in 2006.

Genetically Modified Organisms: EU Action

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers will apply to UK policy on regulating growth of genetically modified crops in the UK.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 21 February 2008
	Decisions on proposals for the commercial cultivation of GM crops are taken at European Union (EU) level. Consistent with the EU legislation, the UK voting position is based on what the scientific evidence indicates about the safety of each crop in question for human health and the environment. DEFRA consults the relevant authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before the UK position is finalised. There are no plans for the UK position to be determined on the basis of qualified majority voting.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average length of closed periods will be under the new regime for nitrate vulnerable zones.

Phil Woolas: Manures and manufactured fertilisers cannot be applied in nitrate vulnerable zones during defined closed periods. Proposals set out in the recent consultation for redefining the closed periods for organic manures have been developed using a targeted approach based on soil type, land use (arable or grassland) and rainfall. Under those proposals, the average length of the closed periods would be just over four months. There are no proposals to redefine closed periods for manufactured fertilisers.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Standards

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether the public service agreement target to ensure that 95 per cent. of sites of special scientific interest are in favourable condition by 2010 remains in place;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the public service agreement target to ensure that 95 per cent. of sites of special scientific interest are in favourable condition by 2010.

Joan Ruddock: We remain committed to achieving the public service agreement target to bring 95 per cent. of sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) by area into favourable or recovering condition by 2010. This target will become a departmental strategic objective under the new natural environment public service agreement.
	Within the Major Landowners Group, my officials meet regularly with representatives of other organisations with a significant role in delivery of this target. This provides a mechanism for identification of emerging issues and ensures that they are discussed at the appropriate level.

Wildlife: Environment Protection

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what species are to be removed from Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; what mechanisms will be put in place to monitor the effect on wild populations of such species; and what the expected cost is of such monitoring.

Joan Ruddock: The list of species to be removed from Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 has not been finalised and will be subject to further discussions with the devolved administrations. I hope the revised schedule will take effect from 1 October this year.
	The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Statutory Nature Conservation Agencies support a range of bird surveillance and monitoring schemes in the United Kingdom, usually in partnership with specialist non-government organisations. Surveillance schemes may include annual or periodic assessment of population size and distribution and allow trends in both to be derived. Schemes are tailored to provide comprehensive coverage of common and rare species in both breeding and non-breeding seasons. Monitoring is undertaken as part of the JNCC's and Statutory Nature Conservation Agencies' statutory obligations and would not incur any additional costs.

Department of Resources: Pay

Martyn Jones: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what pay grades are applicable to members of staff working for the Department of Resources.

Nick Harvey: As at 31 January 2008, the Department of Resources employed 136.28 full-time equivalent staff (FTE), broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Pay band  FTE 
			 Band SCS2 1 
			 Band SCS1A 1 
			 Band SCS1 4 
			 Band A1 3.21 
			 Band A2 14.79 
			 Band B1 21.18 
			 Band B2 19.2 
			 Band C 42.4 
			 Band D1 27.5 
			 Band D2 1 
			 Sandwich Student 1 
			 Total 136.28 
		
	
	An organisational chart detailing individual pay bands for staff can be found on the Department of Resources intranet site.

Members: Allowances

Martyn Jones: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what percentage of the Department of Resources staff time is spent administering the allowances of hon. Members.

Nick Harvey: About one quarter of all departmental staff time is devoted to administering Members' allowances. This equates to some 35 full-time equivalent staff.

Security

John Hayes: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 
	(1)  how many persons who are not nationals of EU member states hold a parliamentary pass;
	(2)  how many non-European nationals hold a parliamentary pass.

Nick Harvey: There are currently 1,312 valid parliamentary passes issued to individuals whose nationality is other than British.
	Records are not held in a form which distinguishes the number of non-European from European nationals.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by Senior Civil Service staff in his Department in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Paul Murphy: The amount claimed by senior civil service staff in the financial year 2006-07 was £2,582.79.

Olympic Games 2012: Gun Sports

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether she has plans to move the 2012 Olympics shooting events to sites other than Woolwich.

Tessa Jowell: There are no plans to move the shooting event to an alternative venue.
	The Royal Artillery barracks at Woolwich was selected as the venue for Olympic and Paralympic shooting events in 2012 following feedback from the International Olympic Committee and consultation with the International Shooting Federation and British Shooting (the national governing body). Woolwich has the advantage of being close to the Olympic Park and Village which will improve the athlete and spectator experience. The decision to stage the event at Woolwich is now part of the Host City Contract with the IOC.

Olympic Games 2012: Wildlife

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what recent progress has been made on the relocation of  (a) wildlife and  (b) feral cats from the Olympic site at Stratford; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: In parallel with ongoing site clearance and preparation works, the ODA continues its comprehensive ecology programme to ensure the preservation and protection of wildlife in the Olympic Park. Where possible, habitats are being safeguarded and will remain in place but, where wildlife cannot be protected sufficiently on-site, the ODA is working with the nearby Waterworks Nature Reserve and Hackney council to create alternative habitats in the local area. The ODA is also preparing a small nature reserve at East Marsh to become home to a variety of wildlife including birds, frogs, spiders and beetles with planting scheduled to commence in the spring.
	To date, thousands of newts and hundreds of toads have been translocated to specially created ponds on the Waterworks Reserve and aquatics experts have moved fish away from the clearance and dredging works on the Pudding Mill river to the nearby river Lea. New nest areas suitable for the breeding and feeding patterns of kingfishers and sand martins have also been created at the Waterworks.
	The ODA is also working with the Celia Hammond Animal Trust (CHAT) to ensure the well-being and safe capture of any feral cats remaining on the site. To date, around 170 cats have been safely taken off site for re-homing by the trust. The ODA continues to work closely with the trust to allow access to those areas safe from construction activities.

Departmental Stationery

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on stationery in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The following table shows the amount the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), excluding its Agencies and NDPBs, has spent on stationery in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Stationery costs (£) 
			 2002-03 315,435 
			 2003-04 299,858 
			 2004-05 297,183 
			 2005-06 320,590 
			 2006-07 314,784

Historical Enquiries Team

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases the Historical Enquiries Team are investigating; and how many staff there are currently associated with the team.

Paul Goggins: The Historical Enquiries Team (HET) is to examine all deaths attributed to "The Troubles" from January 1969 to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998; this equates to 3,268 deaths which occurred in 2,516 incidents (an incident is described as a case). To date 1,039 cases have been allocated to the HET business process.
	HET currently have a total of 175 staff.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by senior Civil Service staff in his Department and its agencies in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: The total claimed in reimbursable expenses by senior civil servants in DFID in the last 12 months was £111,005.
	This figure relates to claims made directly through our UK systems. It is not possible to include reimbursable costs claimed through our local accounting sections overseas without incurring disproportionate cost.
	All reimbursable expenses are made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Overseas Aid

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the compatibility of programmes funded by the European Commission on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with  (a) the Global Business Plan on MDGs 4 and 5 and  (b) the International Health Partnership.

Gareth Thomas: Both the Global Business Plan (GBP) on MDGs 4 and 5 and the International Health Partnership (IHP) aim to deliver more effective aid in support of national health plans and priorities. The European Commission (EC) is a signatory to the IHP and the UK continues to work closely with the Commission in ensuring the aid it provides is consistent with these principles. The EC does not have specific MDG 'programmes'. Our main interest with regard to their support for the MDGs is at the country level.
	In 2007, the EC published the majority of its country strategy papers (CSPs) for the period to 2013. Many of these were completed before donors agreed the GBP and the IHP. DFID considered these CSPs against a range of criteria, including their adherence to the legal and policy base and alignment with the priorities of the partner country as set out in their national plans—this is in line with the principles of the IHP. Our assessment is that those which have so far been presented have generally met these criteria.

Pension Education Fund

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department plans to measure the performance and efficacy of the pension education fund.

Mike O'Brien: DWP has commissioned an independent case study evaluation to:
	Explore the impact of the fund initiatives on individuals' knowledge and attitudes towards planning for retirement and on savings behaviour;
	Provide evidence to help assess the potential role that a trusted third party can play in delivering pensions information; and
	Explore providers' experiences of setting up and running the initiatives.
	Research has been conducted with 14 Pension Education Fund schemes selected to ensure coverage of a range of different types of initiatives. In depth interviews were the main research tool in this study, through which the research organisation have collected detailed information on providers' experiences of setting up and running particular initiatives, on employers' experience of participating, and on the influence that funded activities have had on individuals' attitudes to retirement planning and saving for retirement.
	In addition, all 26 schemes are being monitored through contract management processes and PEF funded organisations are conducting their own evaluations to understand their perspectives on delivery.
	A DWP research report on the evaluation will be published in spring 2008.
	 Notes:
	1. The PEF offered funding to local and national not-for-profit organisations (such as trade unions, charities, trade associations and the voluntary sector) to use innovative ways to increase financial awareness and encourage working people to provide for their retirement, especially among those that might be at more risk of undersaving.
	2. The principle is to provide impartial and accurate information on pensions and retirement planning via trusted third parties to individuals (employees and self-employed people) in the workplace, where practicable.
	3. The projects are running between January 2006 and March 2008.
	4. Closing date for applications was 2 September 2005.
	5. 55 applications were received and examined against financial and quality criteria and the process overseen by an Independent Decision Panel.
	6. 26 were accepted, covering all Government Office regions and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and a range of organisational types including charities, trade unions, employer groups and the voluntary sector.
	7. Information is being delivered by the projects using a variety of methods including group events, one to ones, websites, CDs, information booklets/packs and by training intermediaries and union members who return to the workplace and cascade information.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme: World War II

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the compensation scheme for former civilian internees of the Japanese in the Second World War, on what date the qualification requirement that recruitment of applications had to have taken place in the UK was introduced in relation to service abroad with the Government counting towards the 20 year residency qualification; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The then Under-Secretary of State announced on 26 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 9-10, that the detailed rules of the FEPOW Scheme 20-year residence criterion, which allow applicants to demonstrate the required close link to the UK on the basis of post-January 1945 residence in the UK, were being published and implemented that day. The rules, which were the subject of consultation with the Association of British Civilian Internees—Far East Region, allow periods employed outside the UK—whether with the British Government or otherwise—to count towards the 20 years providing there is reasonable evidence of an intention to return to this country; this will most likely be the case with postings from the UK. There is, however, no requirement that the individual should have been in the UK when recruited; if a person's employment was contracted on the basis that they would otherwise have been resident in the UK and that they would travel to the UK at its termination, that would qualify.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is  (a) stored and  (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Personal data, mainly on MOD employees and their dependents, for which the Department is responsible are stored and processed in permanent and deployed units overseas, but within UK jurisdiction. Similar data are also held on overseas based and locally employed staff by Defence Attachés in British embassies. The volume of personal data held outside the Defence overseas footprint is not currently held centrally. As part of the departmental response to the Cabinet Office led Review into data handling procedures in Government, an internal review is currently establishing a more comprehensive assessment of personal data held and accessed overseas.

Departmental Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on  (a) alcohol and  (b) entertaining in the last 12 month period for which information is available.

Derek Twigg: Information on alcohol expenditure is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1014W, to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson).
	As regards expenditure on hospitality and entertainment, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 October 2007,  Official Report, column 11W, to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson).
	Expenditure on official entertainment is subject to departmental regulation and compliance with the principles of propriety set out in Managing Public Money and in the Treasury's handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.

Departmental Reports

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the most recent briefing team reports from  (a) the Chief of the General Staff,  (b) the Chief of the Air Staff and  (c) the First Sea Lord.

Bob Ainsworth: The Army is the only one of the three services that currently operates a briefing team—the Chief of the General Staffs Briefing Team—and a copy of its most recent report, that for spring 2007, is available in the Library of the House. I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave on 27 November 2007,  Official Report, column 308W, to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry).

Guided Weapons

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the United Kingdom has participated in the theatre missile defence system integration test bed tests at NATO's test facility near The Hague in 2008.

Des Browne: The UK participates in the integrated test bed (ITB) programme through our interest in NATO's Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence programme. The UK Government has no direct military involvement in the ITB.

Wind Power

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what onshore wind farm applications his Department did not initially object to but later objected to in the last three years; and what the reasons were for doing so.

Derek Twigg: There are a number of reasons why a late objection may have to be made; these include new information being made available, a change in Ministry of Defence (MOD) requirements, or an improved understanding of the effects of wind turbines.
	In many cases a wind farm proposal changes significantly between the pre-planning consultation sent to the MOD and the final planning application. It is essential, therefore, that we assess the development in its final state using all available evidence. In some cases it will mean raising an objection when earlier we hadn't; in others we may be able to lift an objection we had previously registered.
	Over the past three years the MOD did not initially object to onshore wind farm applications, but did so later in the following cases:
	
		
			  Site  n ame  Reason for MOD objection 
			 Wryde Croft Unacceptable implications for Air Traffic Control (ATC) radars at RAF Coningsby, RAF Cottesmore, RAF Cranwell, RAF Waddington and also with the Precision Approach Radar (PAR) at RAF Wittering. 
			 Wandylaw Unacceptable implications with Air Defence (AD) radar for the Remote Radar Head (RRH) Brizlee Wood in Northumberland. 
			 Green Rig Unacceptable interference with the ATC radars at RAF Spadeadam. 
			 French Farm As for Wryde Croft. 
			 Nutsgrove As for Wryde Croft. 
			 Routh Unacceptable interference on AD radar at RRH Staxton Wold in Yorkshire. 
			 Ray Unacceptable effect on the ATC radars at RAF Spadeadam. 
			 Fallago Rig Unacceptable effect on the AD radar at the RRH at Brizlee Wood in Northumberland.

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of his Department's expenditure was on advertising in each year since establishment.

Gareth Thomas: My Department's committed spending on campaign advertising in the current financial year, procured through the Central Office of Information, is £881,482.27, as of 8 February 2008.
	My Department's total spending on recruitment advertising, to date, since 1 April 2007, procured through the Central Office of Information is £9,681.53, as of 8 February 2008.
	Detail of other advertising expenditure is not held centrally. It is thus not possible to express this figure as a percentage of overall expenditure.

Departmental Databases

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what databases are  (a) owned and  (b) maintained by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Gareth Thomas: The Department owns 165 databases as at 1 June 2007—75 are maintained by departmental staff and 90 are maintained by external companies.
	BERR agencies—Companies House and the Insolvency Service—have been asked to respond directly to the hon. Member.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what average hourly rate his Department and its predecessors paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by employment agency.

Gareth Thomas: Departmental policy is that agency staff are engaged where it is not possible to source the skills for the task from within the Department but the expectation is that the appointment would be time-limited.
	Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Heating: Sustainable Development

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations officials in his Department have made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in advance of the forthcoming meeting of the Consulting Forum under the Ecodesign of Energy-using Products Directive on requirements for boilers and water heaters.

Malcolm Wicks: Officials in my Department have been in close contact with their colleagues in DEFRA and are working together as proposals are developed by the European Commission, taking advice from industry and other stakeholders.
	BERR and DEFRA ran a joint stakeholder workshop specifically on the proposed requirements for boilers and heaters on 4 February to help inform UK Government policy at the forthcoming Consultation Forum.

Members: Correspondence

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when his Department will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for the Cities of London and Westminster of 30 August, 10 October, 26 November 2007 and 2 January 2008 on the concerns about Companies House and identity theft of his constituent Nigel Walmsley.

Gareth Thomas: I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member's letter. This was due to an administrative error. A response will be issued shortly.

Music: Health Hazards

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will bring forward proposals for a statutory maximum limitation on the permitted volume of personal MP3 players.

Gareth Thomas: The European Commission has asked the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks for an opinion on the potential health risks of exposure to noise from personal music players and mobile phones which include a music playing function. The Committee has been asked to report back to the Commission by March 2008.
	We will consider whether there is any need for domestic measures following an analysis of the Scientific Committee's report and in light of decisions taken by the Commission in respect of Community action.

Nuclear Power

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of generating capacity was out of service in UK nuclear power stations in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: Planned or unplanned closures of this nature are commercial and/or technical decisions for the companies that own and operate the power stations to take in conjunction with the relevant health and safety authorities. My Department therefore does not keep records of the operating decisions of individual power stations.
	However, information on plant load factors is available. The load factor is actual generation for a given year taken as a percentage of theoretical maximum potential generation. It is impossible for any power station to generate at fall capacity throughout the year. There will be periods when it will not generate due to lack of demand, routine maintenance and unplanned repairs. The load factors for UK nuclear power stations for the most recent 10 years for which data are available are as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 1997 79.1 
			 1998 80.1 
			 1999 77.5 
			 2000 70.5 
			 2001 76.1 
			 2002 75.1 
			 2003 77.8 
			 2004 71.8 
			 2005 72.4 
			 2006 69.3 
			  Source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics, BERR

Personal Information

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which  (a) companies based in the United States and  (b) UK subsidiaries of US companies were contracted to his Department and its agencies to provide services involving the use, storage, processing and analysis of databases of personal information held by the Government on UK citizens in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: On  (a) my Department is not aware of any contracts held by my Department with companies based in the United States to provide services involving the use, storage, processing and analysis of databases of personal information held by the Government on UK citizens. On  (b) this information is not collected or held centrally by my Department.
	I would also refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review. The review is now due to conclude in the spring.

Reconstruction: Iraq

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the value of contracts awarded to UK companies for reconstruction in Iraq since March 2003.

Gareth Thomas: British companies are not obliged to give HMG any details of contracts won and there is no central organisation that publishes such information. A number of British companies have been awarded either contracts or subcontracts for the reconstruction process, but for confidentiality reasons we do not release their details.

Recruitment Agencies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies in relation to departmental appointments in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, excluding its agencies and NDPBs, can only provide spend on recruitment agencies from the financial year 2004-05. This information, which relates only to the former DTI, has been extracted from the Department's finance system. Information for other years requested is not readily available on a consistent basis and would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	The figures shown in the following table shows the total amount paid to recruitment agencies which includes both the costs for appointing staff to the Department and the salaries paid to these temporary staff members.
	
		
			  Financial year  Recruitment agencies costs  (£000) 
			 2004-05 2,090 
			 2005-06 3,004 
			 2006-07 1,851 
		
	
	Recruitment agency staff are only employed when appropriately skilled permanent staff are not available to fill posts. Such appointments are closely monitored with regard to the continuing need.

Tribunals: Discrimination

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many claims regarding discrimination on the grounds of  (a) disability,  (b) gender reassignment,  (c) religion,  (d) sex,  (e) race,  (f) age and  (g) sexual orientation were made to employment tribunals in each year for which data is available; how many such cases were heard by tribunals in each year; and in how many cases heard by a tribunal the claimant was successful in each year.

Gareth Thomas: In the five year period January 2002 to December 2007 Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform had the following claims made to an employment tribunal:
	 (a) Disability
	2003 One case submitted to ET withdrawn before hearing.
	2004 Two cases submitted to ET one withdrawn before hearing one heard and was unsuccessful.
	2005 One case submitted to ET, withdrawn before hearing.
	2006 One case submitted to ET, withdrawn before hearing.
	2007 Five cases submitted to ET, three withdrawn before hearing one heard and was successful one heard and was unsuccessful.
	 (b) Gender reassignment, no cases submitted to ET between 2002 and 2007.
	 (c) Religion no cases submitted to ET between 2002 and 2007.
	 (d) Sex 2006 One case submitted to ET, withdrawn before hearing.
	 (e) 2004 1 case submitted to ET, withdrawn before hearing.
	2007 One submitted to ET Struck out by ET Judge.
	 (f) Age no cases submitted to ET between 2002 and 2007
	 (g) Sexual orientation no cases submitted to ET between 2002 and 2007.

Archaeology

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council on the funding levels of the Portable Antiquities Scheme in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council on the likely effect of funding the Portable Antiquities Scheme at the current level in 2008-09 on the number of posts; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met with the chief executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to discuss these matters. In my capacity as Minister for Culture I have met regularly with MLA's chief executive. During the course of these meetings we have discussed funding issues for the MLA as a whole. The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is funded by the MLA, so the impact of funding levels on the Scheme is a matter for them. The MLA is committed to the continued success of the PAS and is working together with other stakeholders to ensure that this is achieved.

Archaeology

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Director of the British Museum on the effect of funding the Portable Antiquities Scheme at the current level in 2008-09 on the number of posts; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met the Director of the British Museum to discuss this matter. In my capacity as Minister for Culture, I have met regularly with the Museum's Director. During the course of these meetings we have discussed the future of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS). The British Museum is committed to the continued success of the PAS and is working together with other stakeholders to ensure that this is achieved.

Arts Council of England: Expenditure

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by Arts Council England in Bassetlaw constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 20 February 2008
	 Arts Council funding to Bassetlaw for the past 10 years is as follows:
	
		
			   Grant in aid  Lottery 
			 1997-98 — 68,901 
			 1998-99 — — 
			 1999-2000 — 17,707 
			 2000-01 — 6,422 
			 2001-02 — — 
			 2002-03 — 15,000 
			 2003-04 — 5,000 
			 2004-05 — 41,374 
			 2005-06 — 23,545 
			 2006-07 — 153,263 
			 2007-08 (to January 2008) — 13,716 
			 Total — 344,928

Arts: Public Expenditure

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total public expenditure on the arts in  (a) England and  (b) Bassetlaw was in 2007.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 20 February 2008
	 My Department expects to provide £422.2 million grant in aid to Arts Council England in 2007-08, following parliamentary approval of the spring supplementary estimate. Final outturn figures will be available in June 2008. Projected lottery income to Arts Council England (including investment income) in 2007-08 is £146 million. Final lottery figures will be available in mid April.
	Bassetlaw received £13,716 in lottery funding between April 2007 and January 2008.

Casinos

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the Casino Impacts Scoping Study; on what date the report  (a) was commissioned,  (b) was originally scheduled for publication and  (c) is expected to be published; and what the cost of producing the report is.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 22 February 2008
	The Scoping Study for the UK Gambling Act, 2005 Impact Assessment Framework was commissioned in May 2006 and scheduled for completion in November 2006.
	We did not stipulate a publication date but I anticipate that it will be published shortly. The cost of producing the study was approximately £50,000.

Creative Sparks Initiative

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pupils have  (a) performed music live to an audience,  (b) taken part in a theatre production,  (c) visited an art gallery,  (d) visited a library and  (e) visited an historic building under the Creative Sparks initiative since its inception.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 21 February 2008
	DCMS' Five Year Plan 'Living Life to the Full', published in March 2005, included a proposal to develop the Creative Sparks initiative by 2010.
	From 2005 we trialled the idea of a cultural offer for children and young people in three areas of the country—Telford, Durham and Bournemouth and Poole—through the Cultural Hubs programme. We have also continued to develop our cultural programmes aimed at children and young people, including Creative Partnerships, the education element of Renaissance in the Regions and the Strategic Commissioning Programme for Museums and Galleries.
	We will now take these programmes forward under the new title of 'Find your Talent'. As announced on 13 February 2008 a series of ten regional pilots will be selected by the summer.
	It is not possible to give figures for the number of pupils who have taken part in the activities listed in the question, but the 'Taking Part' survey shows that young people took part in the following levels of activity:
	 (a) Played a musical instrument to an audience: 21 per cent.
	 (b) Rehearsed or performed in a play: 38 per cent.
	 (c) Visited a museum or gallery: 55 per cent.
	 (d) Visited a library: 72 per cent.
	 (e) Visited a historic environment site: 72 per cent.
	This data relates to activities done in and out of school by 11-15 year olds living in private households in England. The interviews were conducted between January and December 2006.
	The 10 pilots under the 'Find your Talent' scheme will be asked to audit the level of provision and the take up of cultural activities by children and young people.

Creative Sparks Initiative: Expenditure

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on the Creative Sparks initiative in each year since its inception; and what plans it has for expenditure on Creative Sparks over the next two years.

Margaret Hodge: DCMS' Five Year Plan 'Living Life to the Full', published in March 2005, included a proposal to develop the Creative Sparks initiative by 2010. It is being enacted through the 'Find your Talent' policy announced on 13 February 2008. £25 million has been set aside over the next three years, by DCMS, DCSF, Arts Council England and the Museums Archives and Libraries Council, to establish 10 local area pilots where a full range of partners will trial different ways of delivering a comprehensive cultural offer. In the interim period DCMS and DCSF have continued to invest significant amounts in cultural programmes aimed at children and young people. These include Creative Partnerships, Cultural Hubs, the education element of Renaissance in the Regions and the Strategic Commissioning for museums and galleries.

Departmental Studies

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 38W, on departmental studies, when he will place in the Library copies of  (a) assessing the readiness of the social housing sector for digital switchover,  (b) governance of non-departmental government bodies,  (c) the casino impacts scoping study,  (d) sport's contribution to achieving wider social benefits,  (e) measuring elasticity of tourism demand,  (f) international dimension of the creative economy,  (g) exploring creative industry spillovers,  (h) the review of performance indicator framework for national museums and galleries and  (i) culture on demand.

Margaret Hodge: Pursuant to my answer of 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 38W, the following studies have been published and have been placed in the Library:
	 (a) Assessing the Readiness of the Social Housing Sector for Digital Switchover (now entitled Communal TV Systems and Preparation for Digital Switchover),  (d) Sport's Contribution to Achieving Wider Social Benefits,  (h) Review of Performance Indicator Framework for National Museums and Galleries and (i) Culture on Demand (now entitled Review of Evidence Base for Delivering SP2/ PSA3).
	The following studies have now been published and will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses today.
	 (b) Governance of Non-departmental Government Bodies,  (f) International Dimension of the Creative Economy (now entitled A Framework for Understanding International Demand for the Creative Industries)  (g) Exploring Creative Industry Spillovers.
	The following study will be published shortly:
	 (c) The Casino Impacts Scoping Study - The Lancaster Study.
	The following study is unfinished and a decision to publish will be taken once complete:
	 (e) Measuring Elasticity of Tourist Demand.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by employment agency.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has used two employment agencies to provide temporary staff since August 2007, Hays and Brook Street. The average hourly rate for staff provided by Hays was £12.70, the average hourly rate for Brook Street was £11.93.
	For the period 2005-06, the Department used Adecco and Josephine Sammons whose hourly rates were respectively £13.96 and £14.50.
	The information requested prior to 2005 could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Gambling Commission: Manpower

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many specialist Gambling Commission compliance officers there are; and how many have been appointed since the Gambling Act 2005 entered into force.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Gambling Commission has 55 regionally based compliance staff (all of whom are designated as enforcement officers). In addition there is a specialist enforcement team of 10 officers based in Birmingham with national responsibilities. There are eight further specialist compliance staff (sector experts/technical advisers) who are also appointed as enforcement officers.
	Three compliance officers and one enforcement officer have been appointed since the Gambling Act 2005 came into force on 1 September 2007.

Licensing: Fees and Charges

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the report of the Independent Licensing Fees Review Panel; and whether he plans to review the fees prescribed by the Licensing Act (Fees) Regulations 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I am considering my response to the Independent Licensing Fees Panel report, and I expect to make changes to the Licensing Act (Fees) 2005 Regulations in due course.

Museums and Galleries

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what progress has been made towards his Department's public service agreement target to increase significantly the number of people from priority groups accessing museums and galleries collections; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people aged 16 years and above  (a) from black and minority ethnic groups,  (b) with a limiting disability,  (c) from lower socio-economic groups and  (d) in total who attended museums and galleries collections in each year for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: The DCMS 'Taking Part' survey is being used to measure progress against this public service agreement.
	The most recent results were published in December 2007 in the following table. They provide a comparison between the baseline figures and the second year results of the survey. The statistics show no significant change from year one to year two.
	We are working closely with the cultural sector's strategic delivery bodies—Arts Council England, English Heritage and the Museums Libraries and Archives Council—to ensure that we maximise our impact on increasing participation rates.
	These bodies deliver through a range of programmes and initiatives with cultural organisations at regional and local level. This includes: investment in programmes such as Renaissance in the Regions, which has seen visits to local museums and galleries by people from the PSA3 priority groups up by over 30 per cent. since 2002-03; free admission to formerly charging sponsored museums in England—where attendance has gone up by 98 per cent. since 2001; record investment in Arts Council England's regularly funded organisations of £326 million this year; and Heritage Open Days, which receives its core funding from English Heritage, where 850,000 people visited some of 3,500 buildings last year, making it England's largest voluntary cultural event.
	The museums and galleries indicator is defined as at least one attendance at a museum or gallery during the past 12 months.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Year 1  Year 2 
			 Black and minority ethnic 35.5 33.6 
			 Limiting disability 32.1 31.1 
			 Lower socio-economic 28.3 28.2 
			 All adults 42.3 41.5

National Lottery: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid in prizes awarded by the National Lottery to individuals who reside in  (a) Tamworth constituency and  (b) Staffordshire in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not available. The national lottery operator, Camelot, does not collect prize payout information on a constituency or postcode basis, nor does it collect the addresses of winners who win prizes of less than £500.

Sports: Schools

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many school sports co-ordinators have been introduced in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since the establishment of the policy.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The School Sport Partnership (SSP) infrastructure of Partnership Development Managers, Secondary Sport Coordinators and Primary Link Teachers was rolled out in stages between 2000 and 2006.
	Information on numbers of School Sport Co-ordinators is only readily available for 2006 and 2008. Information for other years is available only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number 
			   2006  2008 
			  (a) Jarrow 5 5 
			  (b) South Tyneside 10 10 
			  (c) North East 211 209 
			  (d) England 2,765 3,255

Tourism

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the 10 most popular tourist attractions in England were in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (a) revenue raised and  (b) visitor numbers.

Margaret Hodge: The tables show the top 10 tourist attractions in England and admission figures between 1999 and 2006.
	Information before 1999 and information on the revenue raised by these attractions is not available.
	
		
			  Top 10 tourist attractions and visitor numbers in England( 1, 2) 
			  1999 
			   Number 
			 Blackpool Pleasure Beach 7,100,000 
			 British Museum 5,461,000 
			 National Gallery 4,965,000 
			 Alton Towers 2,650,000 
			 Madame Tussaud's 2,640,000 
			 Pleasureland Theme Park 2,500,000 
			 Tower of London 2,429,000 
			 Adventure Island 2,000,000 
			 York Minster 1,900,000 
			 Tate Britain 1,822,000 
		
	
	
		
			  2000 
			   Number 
			 Blackpool Pleasure Beach 6,800,000 
			 Millennium Dome 6,517,000 
			 British Museum 5,466,000 
			 National Gallery 4,988,000 
			 Tate Modern 3,874,000 
			 British Airways London Eye 3,300,000 
			 Pleasureland Theme Park 2,600,000 
			 Adventure Island 2,500,000 
			 Alton Towers 2,450,000 
			 Madame Tussaud's 2,388,000 
		
	
	
		
			  2001 
			   Number 
			 Blackpool Pleasure Beach 6,500,000 
			 National Gallery 4,919,000 
			 British Museum 4,801,000 
			 British Airways London Eye 3,850,000 
			 Tate Modern 3,552,000 
			 Tower of London 2,019,000 
			 Pleasureland Theme Park 2,000,000 
			 Eden Project 1,700,000 
			 Natural History Museum 1,696,000 
			 Science Museum 1,353,000 
		
	
	
		
			  200 2 
			   Number 
			 Blackpool Pleasure Beach 6,200,000 
			 Tate Modern 4,661,000 
			 British Museum 4,607,000 
			 National Gallery 4,131,000 
			 British Airways London Eye 4,100,000 
			 Natural History Museum 2,958,000 
			 Science Museum 2,722,000 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 2,210,000 
			 Pleasureland Theme Park 2,000,000 
			 Tower of London 1,941,000 
		
	
	
		
			  200 3 
			   Number 
			 Blackpool Pleasure Beach 6,200,000 
			 British Museum 4,584,000 
			 National Gallery 4,360,000 
			 Tate Modern 3,896,000 
			 British Airways London Eye 3,700,000 
			 Natural History Museum 2,894,000 
			 Science Museum 2,887,000 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 2,257,000 
			 Pleasureland Theme Park 2,100,000 
			 Tower of London 1,972,000 
		
	
	
		
			  200 4 
			   Number 
			 Blackpool Pleasure Beach 6,200,000 
			 National Gallery 4,960,000 
			 British Museum 4,868,000 
			 Brighton Pier 4,500,000 
			 Tate Modern 4,441,000 
			 British Airways London Eye 3,700,000 
			 Natural History Museum 3,240,000 
			 Xscape Castleford 2,800,000 
			 Science Museum 2,169,000 
			 Upper Derwent Reservoirs 1,750,000 
		
	
	
		
			  200 5 
			   Number 
			 Blackpool Pleasure Beach 6,000,000 
			 British Museum 4,536,000 
			 National Gallery 4,202,000 
			 Tate Modern 3,902,000 
			 River Lee Country Park 3,500,000 
			 Xscape Castleford 3,250,000 
			 Natural History Museum 3,078,000 
			 Parkland at Dalton Park 2,100,000 
			 Science Museum 2,020,000 
			 Tower of London 1,931,000 
		
	
	
		
			  200 6 
			   Number 
			 Blackpool Pleasure Beach 5,730,000 
			 Tate Modern 4,915,000 
			 British Museum 4,838,000 
			 National Gallery 4,562,000 
			 Natural History Museum 3,754,000 
			 River Lee Country Park 3,500,000 
			 Xscape Castleford 3,476,000 
			 Science Museum 2,440,000 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 2,373,000 
			 Parkland at Dalton Park 2,200,000 
			 (1) Participation within the Visitor Attraction survey is voluntary and so there may be attractions that choose not to participate or to remain anonymous. For these reasons, comparisons between years is not advisable. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.  Source: Visitor Attraction Trends survey, England (Visit Britain).

Tourism: Standards

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what target his Department has set for tourism growth in the period 2008-11;
	(2)  when he plans to announce a new tourism growth target for 2008-11;
	(3)  what progress his Department has made towards the target of increasing turnover in the tourism industry to £100 billion by 2010, as described by his predecessor, the right hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde in departmental media release 140/05, dated 20 October 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 20 February 2008
	The present DCMS strategic target for tourism growth is total UK turnover of £100 billion by 2010. This was agreed with the industry, the Regional Development Agencies, and the Local Government Association in 2004, and announced in the policy document Tomorrow's Tourism Today. The industry's turnover was £85.6 billion in 2006, compared to £74.2 billion in 2003.
	Since 2004, the outlook for the UK tourism industry has changed considerably, particularly because of the opportunities of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Accordingly, DCMS announced in October 2007 in Winning, the 2012 Tourism Strategy, that it would work with the industry and its public sector partners towards agreeing a revised strategic target for tourism.

UK Sport: Manpower

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people are employed in the drug-free sport department of UK Sport; what the salary costs of the department were in the last 12 months; and how many consultants are employed by UK Sport to work with that department.

Gerry Sutcliffe: UK Sport currently employ 19 people in their drug-free sport department. The salary costs for the department in the year to March 2008 are forecast to be £703,600. UK Sport employs one part-time consultant to work with the department as an IT specialist.

Civil Servants: Vacancies

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of Civil Service vacancies have been advertised on the  (a) public and  (b) Civil Service and accredited non-departmental public bodies staff-only sections of the Civil Service recruitment gateway website in the last 12 months.

Tom Watson: Government Departments are responsible for ensuring that their vacancies are publicised on the civil service recruitment gateway. Data is not collected centrally on the total number of civil service and NDPBs vacancies at any given time.
	From 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007, 5,727 vacancies were advertised, of which  (a) 2,916 were advertised on the public part of the site and  (b) 2,811 on the civil service and accredited non-departmental public bodies staff only section, of the civil service recruitment gateway website.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers the Cabinet Office employed in each of the last 10 years.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Murphy) on 10 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1837-38W, and by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office on 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1349W.
	The Cabinet Office does not keep separate records of numbers of other communication staff, who do not all work in the central communications unit.

Honours

Greg Pope: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many members of the Senior Civil Service in his Department have received an honour.

Tom Watson: Information on honours held by employees is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	It is a matter for public record when an honour is awarded. This information is published in the  London Gazette, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Trade Unions

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which trades unions have a recognition agreement with the Cabinet Office.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office recognises the trade unions PCS, FDA and Prospect. The Department has a partnership agreement with all three.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Cornwall

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of accident and emergency patients in Cornwall had a trolley wait of over four hours in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the percentage of patients not placed in a bed, in a ward, within four hours of a decision to admit (commonly referred to as a 'trolley wait') is reported by National Health Service Hospital Trusts.
	This is published quarterly as part of the Department's "Quarterly Monthly Accident and Emergency (A and E) Services Central Return" (QMAE) dataset Information is collected at trust level, and Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust reports that 0.2 per cent. of patients were in this position for the period July to September 2007. This is the latest period for which figures are available.
	This information is for admissions via type 1 (major) A and E departments only.

Ambulance Services: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many ambulances are operating in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) Chorley;
	(2)  how many paramedics are based in Chorley.

Ben Bradshaw: Information relating to the number of ambulances operating in Lancashire, including those in Chorley as well as the number of paramedics who might be based in Chorley is not held centrally. These data can instead be obtained direct from the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
	The headcount for paramedics in the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust in 2006 was 1,175. The figures for 2007 will be available in March.

Autism

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on establishment of a national strategy on autism and Asperger's syndrome; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have not received any representations on the establishment of a national strategy on autism and Asperger's syndrome.
	However, I recently attended the launch of the National Autistic Society's I Exist campaign which calls on the Government to demonstrate national leadership by encouraging implementation of good practice at a regional and local level.
	It is for local authorities to manage their priorities and decide how resources should be distributed, taking into consideration locally identified needs and assessments of individuals.
	"Better Services for people with an autistic spectrum disorder: A note clarifying current Government policy and describing good practice" was published on 16 November 2006. It clarifies the nature and intent of existing government policy as it relates to adults with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). A copy of this document is available in the Library.

Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on  (a) business and  (b) first class air travel in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: For the Financial year 2006-07, the Department spent £672,048 on business class air travel and £6,350 on first class air travel.

Bowel Cancer: Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the Eastern regional bowel cancer screening hub  (a) catches up and  (b) keeps pace with other regional hubs in terms of (i) invitations sent, (ii) kits sent and (iii) kits returned.

Ann Keen: The pace of rollout in each screening hub is governed by a strategy agreed with the local strategic health authorities which reflect local circumstances. The rollout of bowel cancer screening is administered from the Eastern Regional Bowel Cancer Screening Hub.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, by what means he plans to measure the extent to which  (a) primary care trusts and  (b) cancer networks give high priority to raising public awareness of cancer risk factors; and what sanctions there will be for (i) primary care trusts and (ii) cancer networks which do not do this.

Ann Keen: Primary care trusts (PCTS) are funded to meet the healthcare needs of their populations, which will include the provision of cancer services. PCT are expected to plan for and commission services, and monitor delivery of those services against local agreements. PCT and cancer networks are jointly responsible for making local decisions about the services needed, and are expected to use local information to assess the need for local awareness initiatives. PCTs are responsible for driving and managing change locally.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for ensuring that GPs and primary care professionals have fast access to relevant diagnostic tests for cancer; and how he plans to measure progress towards this objective.

Ann Keen: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to ensure that general practitioner and primary care professionals have appropriate and timely direct access to diagnostic tests, and to determine whether these diagnostic facilities should be provided in acute general hospitals or in community settings, based on local circumstances and the needs of their local populations.

Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 992W, on cancer, whether the information on projected cancer inpatient costs placed in the Library expresses costs in real or cash terms.

Ann Keen: All the cost estimates are in real terms with a base year of 2005-06.

Cancer: Drugs

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Cancer Director's forthcoming review of cancer drugs will evaluate geographical variations in the use of cancer drugs  (a) approved by and  (b) awaiting appraisal by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Ann Keen: The National Cancer Director's forthcoming review of cancer drugs will evaluate the usage of National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) approved cancer drugs. It will not evaluate the usage of cancer drugs awaiting appraisal by NICE.
	It is expected that the evaluation report will be published before the end of the year.

Cardiovascular System: Diseases

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to reduce the incidence of death from cardiovascular disease among people under 75 since 1997.

Ann Keen: The national service framework (NSF) for coronary heart disease (CHD) published in March 2000 sets a 10-year framework for action to prevent disease, tackle inequalities, save more lives, and improve the quality of life for people with heart disease.
	The implementation of this NSF has led to a reduction of premature mortality, improved diagnostic and treatment facilities, faster care and better prevention of heart disease.
	The target set out in 'Our Healthier Nation' (OHN) to reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease (CHD and stroke and related diseases) by 40 per cent. in people under 75 by 2010 has been met five years early. The mortality rate has fallen 40.3 per cent. between 2004- 06 over the 1995-97 baseline. This means that we are now saving nearly 31,000 lives per year from cardiovascular disease.
	This progress is set out in detail in the recent report, 'Building for the future', a copy of which has been placed in the Library and the report is also available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_083060.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what  (a) target and  (b) timetable he has for reducing the variation of cervical cancer screening coverage between primary care trusts; when he plans to measure the performance of this policy; and by what means.

Ann Keen: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) working in partnership with their strategic health authorities, local screening services and local stakeholders to provide appropriate cervical screening services for their local populations, including increasing coverage. Participation can be improved by engaging with potential users at a community level.
	To incentivise services to encourage higher coverage we will explore moving to an activity based system for funding screening services. We are at the early stages of this exploration, and are focusing on how cancer screening can fit within the existing payment by results system. National health service cancer screening programmes will also encourage the sharing of best practice in improving accessibility for all groups. There is a need to ensure that health inequalities are tackled with targeted programmes that increase the uptake of screening in poor communities and in black and ethnic minority communities. Commissioners in PCTs with low coverage will wish to develop these programmes.
	We will continue to monitor levels of cervical screening coverage through the Office for National Statistics/Information Centre for health and social care annual Cervical Screening Statistical bulletin.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what  (a) target and  (b) timetable he has set for tackling the falling participation of women aged 25 to 35 years in cervical cancer screening.

Ann Keen: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) working in partnership with their strategic health authorities (SHAs), local screening services and local stakeholders to provide appropriate cervical screening services for their local populations, including tackling the falling participation in women aged 25 to 35.
	In order to tackle the fall in coverage among younger women, national health service cancer screening programmes have commissioned the Improvement Foundation to undertake work at a local level targeting this age group. The lessons learned from this work, due in 2009, will be shared with SHAs and local screening programmes to develop best practice. The NHS cancer screening programmes' press office is developing an information pack to be issued to all local screening programmes and also developing a public relations strategy, including articles in appropriate media publications, posters etc. In addition, Cancer Research UK has commissioned research on this issue, which we will monitor closely and will share the findings.
	Continued local action in this area is also essential and we will continue to monitor levels of cervical screening coverage through the Office for National Statistics/Information Centre for health and social annual Cervical Screening Statistical bulletin.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what evidential basis changes were made in 2005-06 to the NHS Direct Health Encyclopaedia in relation to possible causes of chronic fatigue syndrome, to remove references to altered immune response due possibly to infections such as glandular fever or hepatitis neurotoxins and to immunisation; and what medical references were taken into consideration.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally, but may be available from the Chairman of NHS Direct NHS Trust.

Clostridium

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were infected with  (a) clostridium difficile and  (b) MRSA as recorded by the mandatory surveillance system, broken down by NHS trust in 2006-07; and what those figures are per 1,000 admissions of patients aged over 65 years.

Ann Keen: The mandatory surveillance system operated for the Department by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) provides data on the number of reports of methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections and  Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile) infection. All acute national health service trusts in England are obliged to report all cases of MRSA bloodstream infections and  C. difficile infection processed by their laboratories and the data are published at trust level.
	Mandatory surveillance of MRSA bloodstream infections was introduced in April 2001 and in 2004 for  C. difficile for patients aged 65 and over and has been extended to all patients aged two and over from April 2007.
	The HPA publishes these data on their website so this information and any further information the number of MRSA infections for NHS acute trusts is available at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/Mandatory_Results.htm.
	and the number of  C. difficile infections for NHS Acute Trusts is available at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/Mandatory_Results.htm
	The quarterly mandatory surveillance data on  C. difficile and MRSA is also available in the Library. These will be updated each quarter.
	Rates per 1,000 bed days are available for those aged 65 years and over for  C. difficile in the above table for  C. difficile. Rates for the over 65 age group are not available for MRSA. However, the MRSA enhanced surveillance scheme introduced in 2005 provides limited data. An analysis of data(1) for cases diagnosed between April 2006 and March 2007 where age was provided showed that 69 per cent. of cases occurred in people aged 65 years and over.
	(1) Sources—Health Protection Agency. Surveillance of healthcare associated infections report 2007
	www.hpa.org.uk/publications/PublicationDisplay.asp?PublicationID=108 (page 21).

Departmental Data Protection

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many confirmed security breaches of databases controlled by his Department occurred in each of the last five years; whether the breach resulted from internal or external sources in each case; how many records were compromised on each occasion; and what estimate was made of the total number of records accessible to the individuals concerned.

Ben Bradshaw: Except in exceptional cases, when it is in the public interest, it has been the policy of successive governments not to comment on breaches of security.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of Freedom of Information requests received by his Department have given rise to responses that have been published by his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has adopted a selective disclosure log, whereby only the most interesting and high profile pieces of information are published. Between 1 January, 2005 and 30 September 2007, 2 per cent. of Freedom of Information requests received by the Department gave rise to responses that were published by the Department. However, we periodically publish a list of all requests that have resulted in release of information, providing brief subject details and advice that the information may be obtained on request. The last such list, published in August 2007, covered information released between October and December 2006.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not have a 'communication officer' grade or job-title so the figures provided are for press officers. Some officers in Directorates other than Communications have some media, press or communications liaison responsibility but this is not recorded in a consistent or economically retrievable form. Figures given as follows are therefore for communications Directorate alone. The figures for 2003-04 are estimates. Figures are given for complete financial years.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  Special bonus total  Senior civil servant (SCS) bonus total  Total bonuses  Maximum bonus  Minimum bonus 
			 2006-07 2,700.00 4,577.00 7,277.00 4,577.00 1,000.00 
			 2005-06 1,000.00 7,850.00 8,850.00 7,850.00 250.00 
			 2004-05 1,311.50 6,859.00 8,170.50 6,859.00 111.50 
			 2003-04 3,000.00 0.00 3,000.00 500.00 500.00 
		
	
	The Department changed its payroll provider in 2003-04. Information on performance bonus payments prior to 2004-05 is available only from individual payslips. To retrieve this information would therefore involve disproportionate cost.
	The figures provided include bonuses paid to press officers who are SCS under pay arrangements common across the civil service and special bonuses paid to press officers under schemes operated by the Department and its Agencies.
	Senior Civil Service bonuses reward excellent performance during the year, based on a judgment of how well people perform relative to their peers. This covers the extent to which objectives are met and how they are achieved, and has regard to how leadership behaviours and professional skills are demonstrated and how stretching objectives are.
	Special bonuses are awarded for a number of different reasons. The most common of these are: an outstanding contribution in a particularly demanding situation, job loading becoming temporarily very heavy, a high level of commitment and resolution to get a job done, special efforts to produce results, cover for a high level of absence, and a contribution over and above what would normally be expected for the job and of the person or team concerned. Special bonuses can be paid either to individuals or to a group or team of staff at any point in the year, and only for additional duties undertaken which will not be recognised through annual pay awards.

Departmental Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department is on course to meet the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets to  (a) source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008 and  (b) increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010.

Ivan Lewis: The Department, has, since 2004-05, purchased 100 per cent. of the electricity for its main London administrative estate from renewable sources.
	In 2005-06, 91 per cent. of the waste removed from our London administrative estate was recycled.
	 Notes:
	1. The figure represents waste removed from our five London buildings (Skipton House, Wellington House, Richmond House, Eileen House, Hannibal House). It excludes waste removed from Quarry House, Leeds (building managed on behalf of Department for Work and Pensions). It also excludes redundant information technology equipment.
	2. The recycling figures differ from those quoted in the 2006 "Sustainable Development in Government" report, which include waste removed from sites occupied by our two executive agencies, NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency, and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of his Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2000-01 the Department moved to resource based accounting, the information provided has therefore been restricted to the period 2000-01 to 2006-07. During this period the Department spent approximately 2.25 per cent. of its administrative budget on travel. This information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   UK travel spend (£)  Overseas travel spend (£)  Percentage of departmental admin costs 
			 2006-07 4,272,127 190,704 2 
			 2005-06 4,883,804 942,076 2 
			 2004-05 3,770,537 250,257 1 
			 2003-04 7,217,286 503,351 3 
			 2002-03 6,779,266 410,130 3 
			 2001-02 7,121,249 425,580 3 
			 2000-01 6,586,987 361,411 3

Departmental Written Questions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's internal guidance on answering Questions tabled by hon. Members.

Ben Bradshaw: In accordance with the ministerial code, Ministers are accountable for their answers to parliamentary questions. The Department follows Cabinet Office guidance in its handling of such questions

Diamorphine

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of UK demand for diamorphine has been met by the NHS's normal suppliers in each of the last five years; how shortfalls in supply have been addressed; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The supply picture, for diamorphine injection (ampoules) for the national health service in England for the years 2002 to 2006 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Diamorphine injection supplied by year: England: hospital and community 
			  Units in thousands 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 l0 mg (total) 1,218 1,271 1,275 552 682 
			 l00 mg (total) 410 440 451 169 141 
			 30 mg (total) 839 872 908 408 557 
			 5 mg (total) 1,366 1,448 1,444 496 218 
			 500 mg (total) 30 37 29 20 22 
		
	
	In March 2007 the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) estimated the following availabilities, against historic demand, by strength:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 5 mg 26 
			 10 mg 84 
			 30 mg 100 
			 100 mg 31 
			 500 mg 100 
		
	
	A combination of the analyses highlights that there has been a significant recovery in the supply of 10 mg and 30 mg strengths against historic demand.
	However prescribing of these two strengths has not returned to original levels and there has been an excess in the supply of these strengths against current demand as a result.
	In the case of the 5 mg and l00 mg strengths the supply position has not recovered. There is an ongoing shortage of these strengths and it is not possible to estimate true current demand as a result.
	When the shortage of diamorphine first arose in December 2004, the remaining supplier immediately increased its production, and the Department took steps to ensure that adequate supplies of alternative painkillers were available. In addition, the Department issued an alert to the national health service via the chief medical officers cascade system, warning health care professionals about the shortage and advising them to avoid wastage, and to consider alternative painkillers wherever possible and reserve diamorphine supplies for those patients whose need was greatest. Both suppliers are now fully in production. The supply situation improved during 2007, and is expected to continue doing so during 2008.

Disabled: Computers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department provided to people with disabilities to assist them with learning to use computers in each year since 2001.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department has not collected separate statistics on how much funding it provides to specific groups to assist them with learning to use computers since 2001. The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	As part of the overall funding of the Government's e-learning strategy funding was used to create infrastructure and was aimed at sectors such as further education and institutions such as colleges. The main thrust was to put technology in place, to develop the content of e-learning materials, including adaptations to enable ease of access by disabled people, and to develop staff to use technology with different groups. This has led to projects designed to support the effective use of computers by vulnerable groups such as disabled people.
	For example between 2004 and 2006 the Learning and Skills Council and the Joint Information Systems Committee provided £250,000 supporting 27 projects in specialist colleges designed to increase confidence and motivation among disabled learners and create innovative technical solutions to meet individual needs, including learners with complex disabilities.
	Until 2005 the then Department for Education and Skills partly funded two national Aids to Communication in Education centres supporting learners with learning disabilities with grants of approximately £400,000 per year. These centres still exist and are self financing.
	My Department does recognise how important it is for disabled people to use computers effectively and a number of projects have been established to improve usage and give disabled people the confidence and skills to use all forms of information and computer technology (ICT) effectively. As part of its responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1996 my Department ensures that its delivery partners are working to eliminate discrimination and this includes ensuring access to technology.

Drugs: Advisory Services

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of calls to the national drugs helpline which have been unanswered as a consequence of staff shortages in each year since the helpline's inception.

Dawn Primarolo: The national drugs helpline ceased in England in March 2003 and was replaced by the FRANK helpline in April 2003.
	The Central Office of Information (COI) advise that FRANK has received 2,114,533 telephone calls since its inception as at 31 December 2007. A total of 1,818,497 of those telephone calls were answered.
	COI advise that overall there are no problems regarding staff shortages. Calls which are unanswered are as a consequence of those callers who may hang up before speaking to a live advisor or who are routed to an interactive voice response system.
	Anticipated demand can be exceeded due to unknown media activity—something relating to drugs appears on television or in the national daily press and the FRANK helpline number is quoted. In these instances, staffing levels are increased to cope with the peak according to their availability. However, despite this, there may be occasions when response performance varies.

General Practitioners

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to enable people to register with a GP practising outside the primary care trust area in which they live.

Ben Bradshaw: Regulations allow a practice to accept a person living outside its boundary onto its list of national health service patients if it wishes to do so. In accepting a patient, a practice has obligations to provide certain services such as home visits. If the practice is unable to fulfil this obligation it is a reasonable ground to refuse a person living outside a practice area.

General Practitioners

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of hours per week GPs spent on practice based commissioning in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not routinely collect information centrally on the number of hours per week general practitioners spend on practice based commissioning.

General Practitioners

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to increase the number of open GP lists.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts (PCT) will only grant a general practitioner practice closed list status once both parties have made reasonable endeavour to keep the list open and the conclusion is that this is not possible.
	The Department is currently exploring, as part of the Next Stages Review being undertaken by the Parliamentary under Secretary of State (Lord Darzi), whether further action is needed to better ensure patients have more choice in the practice they can register with.

General Practitioners: Finance

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely financial impact on GP surgeries of the removal of funding for choice and booking and access directed enhanced services; and if he will provide financial support for surgeries which are adversely affected.

Ben Bradshaw: In each of the last two years, primary care trusts (PCTs) have invested £158 million, equating to an average £19,000 per practice, to fund the Access and Choice Directed Enhanced Services. It was always intended that these schemes would end on 31 March 2008. This money will be available to support PCTs and practices in agreeing improvement in patient access to their general practitioner (GP) practice.
	Under proposals put to the General Practitioner Committee this money would be used by PCTs to pay GP practices for providing extended opening of 30 minutes per week for every 1,000 patients on their list size. There would be no compulsion placed on practices to do this, however, should an average GP practice of 6,000 patients take up this and provide the expected minimum three extended hours per week, they could expect to receive £19,000 per year. Where they choose not to provide such services to their patients, this money will not be available to them.

General Practitioners: Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the overall cost to the public purse in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08 of reviewing the quality and outcomes framework.

Ben Bradshaw: NHS Employers are funded by the Department to take forward negotiations with the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association on changes to the General Medical Services Contract. Funding is not identified separately for the review of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) except for a contract for a period of three years starting from April 2006 to commission an independent expert panel to advise on the review of the QOF. The total value of the contract for the three year period is £799,364 (excluding VAT).

Health and Social Care Services: Autism

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms his Department has in place to ensure the continuity of health and social care services provided to children with autism and Asperger's syndrome as they make the transition to adulthood.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) is the lead Department on transition from children's to adult services, and on social care for children. However, the Department of Health launched good practice guidance at a conference in March 2006, Transition: getting it right for young people, a copy of which is available in the Library. The same good practice guidance as applies to children with autistic spectrum disorders also applies to those with any other condition. The 2007 report, Aiming High for Disabled Children, proposed a transition support programme for 14 to 19-year-olds and DCSF has allocated £19 million to pilot arrangements.

Health Services: Cuba

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will visit Cuba to assess best practice in biotechnology and health facilities in that country.

Dawn Primarolo: We are aware of the considerable work my hon. Friend has done with Cuba through his chairmanship of the All Party Parliamentary Group. However, due to other commitments, Ministers have no plans to visit Cuba at this present time.

Health Services: Private Sector

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to promote the involvement and consultation of patients and the public who receive NHS services through the third sector and the independent sector.

Ann Keen: Under section 242 of the National Health Service Act 2006, all NHS organisations are required to involve service users in the planning, development and operation of health services. This duty does not apply directly to third sector and independent sector organisations.
	NHS organisations which commission services from the third and independent sector must specify in their contractual arrangements that service users shall be systematically involved in the planning, development and operation of services and that such involvement shall be evidenced and reported as part of contract performance.
	The involvement of users in services provided by third sector and independent sector organisations shall be developed and promoted in the forthcoming statutory guidance for section 242 to be published in the summer 2008.

Health Services: Voluntary Work

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much the West Sussex Primary Care Trust has spent on promoting volunteering in the local health service in the last two years;
	(2)  how many employees of the West Sussex Primary Care Trust volunteer; and what the trust's policy is on facilitating volunteering.

Ivan Lewis: These are matters for the West Sussex primary care trust (PCT) and as such the Department does not collect this information. The hon. Member may wish to approach the PCT directly for these details.

Heart Diseases: Cheshire

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to improve outcomes in coronary health care in  (a) Warrington and  (b) Cheshire in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The "National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease", published in March 2000, set out a 10 year framework for action to prevent disease, tackle inequalities, save more lives, and improve the quality of life for people with heart disease. An estimated 178,000 lives have been saved since 1996.
	The target set out in "Our Healthier Nation" (OHN) to reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease and stroke and related diseases) by 40 per cent., in people under 75 by 2010 has been met five years early. The mortality rate has fallen 40.3 per cent., between 2004-06 over the 1995-97 baseline.
	Inequalities in the death rate from heart disease, stroke and related diseases among the under-75s have been narrowing for the past eight years, and we are on track to meet a 40 per cent., reduction target in the gap by 2010. The death rate has reduced by 32 per cent., since 1995-97.
	In 1997 the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease was 69,133 but by 2005 this figure fell to 42,886, a reduction of over 26,000 deaths per year.
	The initiatives outlined above such as the National Service Framework and the targets in OHN will have had an impact across both Cheshire and Warrington, as well as nationally.
	In addition, a £600 million programme of hospital building is continuing to provide new or expanded cardiac facilities in the places where they are most needed. There has been a £125 million investment in improved diagnostic and treatment facilities (combined departmental and national lottery fund money) which has supported the building and equipping of 90 new or replacement catheterisation laboratories in England, increasing the capacity previously available by more than 50 per cent.
	More locally, a new cardiac catheter laboratory was opened at the Warrington general hospital in January 2006. The hospital also has a dedicated eight-bed coronary care unit providing monitoring and urgent treatment for patients with acute coronary conditions.

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on links between cardiac arrest survival rates and the time taken for the patient to reach a hospital.

Ann Keen: The Department has neither commissioned nor evaluated research on links between cardiac arrest survival rates and the time taken for the patient to reach hospital.
	The national service framework for coronary heart disease and other guidance in this area is based on the best available evidence and departmental policy recognises the importance of ensuring that an emergency ambulance response reaches the patient as quickly as possible. The ambulance response time target for calls to people with potentially life-threatening illnesses and conditions (which includes cardiac arrest) is for 75 per cent. of cases to be responded to within eight minutes irrespective of location.
	For heart attack (blockage of a coronary artery by a blood clot which may lead to a cardiac arrest if not treated quickly), the Department has not commissioned research but research results have been taken into account in formulating policy on heart attack treatment. There is accumulating evidence that angioplasty leads to better longer-term outcomes than clot busting drugs even if it takes longer to deliver.

Hospital Beds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2008,  Official Report, column 643W, on hospital beds, if he will investigate the discharges of patients from Hampshire hospitals into the community.

Ivan Lewis: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible within the national health service for commissioning and funding services for their resident population. It is for Hampshire hospitals and the PCTs that commission their services to ensure that patients are appropriately discharged into the community.
	More generally, on 1 October 2007 the NHS implemented the National Framework for Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care which contains guidance on assessing the care needs of patients. If a full assessment for continuing healthcare is required, then it must be completed before proceeding to discharge from hospital.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effectiveness of one-off deep cleaning of hospitals in preventing the spread of healthcare-associated infections.

Ann Keen: As set out in the written ministerial statement on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 38-39WS, following completion of the deep clean of the national health service on 31 March 2008, the Department will work with strategic health authorities (SHAs) to draw up examples of where a deep clean has had a demonstrable effect in improving patient care and experience and will share these across the NHS.
	SHAs will take the lead on evaluation locally as the impact of each trust's programme will be different and no single measurement method will pick up all the benefits, particularly as trusts may be implementing a range of measures to improve cleanliness and tackle health care associated infections.
	Improvements to patient experience and environment may be measurable through:
	Patient Environment Action Team scores;
	scores on National Specifications for Cleanliness;
	compliance with the "Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections";
	compliance with Department of Health national core standards;
	health care Commission in-patient survey scores; and
	infection rates

Influenza: Vaccination

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners aged 65 years and over received free influenza inoculations in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK in each year since it became available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table by the relevant health trust or authority as this is how the data is collected.
	
		
			  Vaccination uptake among the 65 years and over for South Tyneside, North East and England by year (2000-06) 
			  Area  Total persons aged 65 and over vaccinated  Total percentage uptake 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside health authority (HA) 42,093 68.2 
			
			  2000-01   
			 Northern and Yorkshire Region 638,013 66.8 
			 England 4,820,239 65.4 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside HA 43,421 70.0 
			
			  2001-02   
			 Northern and Yorkshire Region 706,899 69.8 
			 England 5,135,760 67.7 
			 South Tyneside Primary Care Trusts (PCT) 19,480 70.2 
			
			  2002-03   
			 North East Region Strategic Health   
			 Authority (SHA) 376635 71.1 
			 England 5,487,645 68.5 
			 South Tyneside PCT 20,274 72.7 
			
			  2003-04   
			 North East Region SHA 387,600 72.9 
			 England 5,788,875 71.0 
			 South Tyneside PCT 19,632 71.9 
			
			  2004-05   
			 North East Region SHA 394,859 73.3 
			 England 4,651,315 71.5 
			 South Tyneside PCT 21,192 76.9 
			
			  2005-06   
			 North East Region SHA 413,718 76.8 
			 England 6,122,744 75.3 
			 South Tyneside PCT 20,803 76.0 
			
			  2006-07   
			 North East Region SHA 312,689 76.0 
			 England 5,779,145 73.9 
			  Note: Uptake figures based on general practitioner practices returning data to the survey and reflect vaccine uptake for individuals vaccinated at these premises  Source: Health Protection Informatics (HPI) web based reporting site Influenza Immunisation Uptake Monitoring Programme Health Protection Agency/Department of Health

Leukaemia: Drugs

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has held with Surrey Primary Care Trust on making available the treatments  (a) Dasatinib and  (b) Nilotinib to patients with imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia;
	(2)  what representations he has received in the last 12 months on the issue of the availability of access to  (a) Dasatinib and  (b) Nilotinib for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia; how many representations were received from (i) clinicians, (ii) patients and (iii) others; what the content was of the representations; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department has held no discussions with Surrey primary care trust on making available the treatments dasatinib and nilotinib to patients with imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia. It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) locally to decide whether to make these treatments available to patients.
	The Department has received various correspondence from clinicians, patients and others about dasatinib and nilotinib. This correspondence mainly raises issues around access to dasatinib and nilotinib and the possibility of their appraisal by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
	My right hon. Friend the Minister of State (Dawn Primarolo) is minded to refer dasatinib and nilotinib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia as part of the 17(th) wave of referrals to NICE. NICE has consulted with stakeholders on the remits and scopes for this appraisal. The Minister of State will make a final decision on whether to refer this topic to NICE following the outcome of NICE's consultation.

Leukaemia: Drugs

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the variations between primary care trust areas in patients' ability to access the treatments  (a) Dasatinib and  (b) Nilotinib for imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Ann Keen: No assessment has been made of the variations between primary care trust areas in patients' ability to access the treatments dasatinib and nilotinib for imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia.
	However, Ministers are minded to refer dasatinib and nilotinib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as part of the 17th work programme. NICE has consulted with stakeholders on the remits and scopes for this appraisal. Ministers will make a final decision on whether to refer this topic to NICE following the outcome of NICE's consultation.

NHS

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) hospitals and  (b) NHS organisations Ministers in his Department have visited since taking up their posts. [Official Report, 15 July 2008, Vol. 479, c. 2MC.]

Ben Bradshaw: The information is as follows.
	
		
			  Minister  Hospitals  NHS organisations 
			 Secretary of State for Health (Alan Johnson)(1) 25 11 
			 Minister of State for Health Services (Ben Bradshaw)(1) 11 13 
			 Minister of State for Public Health (Dawn Primarolo)(1) 0 9 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Services (Ann Keen)(1) 12 9 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Care Services (Ivan Lewis)(2) 9 3 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Darzi)(1) 12 9 
			 (1 )Between taking up post in June 2007 and February 2008 (2 )Between taking up post in June 2006 and February 2008

Post-Mortems: Children

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many post-mortem examinations were carried out on children aged between five and 15 years in each coroner's district in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. The Office for National Statistics collects data on the deaths of children in England aged between five and 15 years where a post-mortem examination has been carried out. It is not broken down by coroner's district. The information available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Death registrations in England by post mortem type, ages 5 to 15( 1) 
			   Post mortem authorised by a coroner  Post mortem authorised by a doctor  Not known by whom post mortem authorised 
			 2006 493 22 4 
			 2005 533 18 5 
			 2004 507 18 1 
			 2003 579 19 2 
			 2002 571 25 4 
			 (1) Data from the Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	Information is not collected centrally on how many of those post mortem examinations were carried out by paediatric pathologists.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the postoperative mortality rate for radical prostatectomy  (a) in total and  (b) broken down by strategic health authority area.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations his Department has received from  (a) patients and  (b) clinicians on treating prostate cancer on the NHS in the last six months; what the content of these representations was; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The main forum through which patients and clinicians make representations to the Department of Health is the Prostate Cancer Advisory Group (PCAG). As part of our commitment to working in partnership, the Government welcomed the establishment of the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action in January 2003 and acted upon its call to establish PCAG, chaired by Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director. The overall remit of PCAG is to facilitate collaboration between the Department, the voluntary sector and patient and professional groups to advise Ministers, the National Cancer Director and the Department on the development of policy on prostate cancer.
	PCAG last met on 26 June 2007, and treatment issues discussed were:
	progress on the Cancer Reform Strategy (CRS);
	the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline on "prostate cancer: diagnosis and treatment";
	the pilot multi-disciplinary team training programme;
	brachytherapy;
	implementation of the NICE improving outcomes guidance (IOG) on urological cancers and
	NICE cancer drug appraisals.
	PCAG is next due to meet on 18 March 2008, following publication of the NICE clinical guideline on "prostate cancer: diagnosis and treatment".
	I met representatives of the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action on 7 November 2007, and treatment issues discussed were the important role of cancer nurse specialists, patient experience, the CRS and clinical outcomes data.
	In addition, since 1 August 2007, the Department has received 57 items of correspondence from patients and clinicians on a wide variety of subjects relating to prostate cancer. Since 6 November 2007, the Department has received 26 parliamentary questions on prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of specialist urological cancer teams in England.

Ann Keen: There were over 100 urology local teams and over 50 urology specialist teams in England at the time of the 2004-07 round of national cancer peer review.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of  (a) consultant urologists and  (b) consultant oncologists he estimates have expertise in urological cancers.

Ann Keen: Data is not collected centrally on the number of urologists and oncologists specialising in urological cancers.
	The last work force census showed that as of 30 September 2006, there were 510 consultants working in urology and 482 consultants working in clinical oncology.
	There are 1,556 extra cancer consultants since 1997 (49.3 per cent. increase) and 3,341 (65.7 per cent.) extra consultants in other specialties who spend a significant amount of their time caring for cancer patients.

South Central Ambulance NHS Trust: Vacancies

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) operational and  (b) non-operational posts are vacant in the Buckinghamshire division of the South Central Ambulance NHS Trust;
	(2)  how many members of staff have resigned from  (a) operational and  (b) non-operational posts in the Buckinghamshire division of the South Central Ambulance NHS Trust since its inception;
	(3)  how many members of staff there are in  (a) operational and  (b) non-operational posts in the Buckinghamshire division of the South Central Ambulance NHS Trust;
	(4)  how many members of staff in  (a) operational and  (b) non-operational posts are on sick leave in the Buckinghamshire division of the South Central Ambulance NHS Trust.

Ann Keen: holding answer 21 February 2008
	The requested information on number of staff on sick leave, and number of staff who have resigned is not collected centrally. These are matters for the South Central Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust, and the hon. Member may wish to approach the Chief Executive of the Trust for this information.
	Information on number of staff in post, and number of vacant posts is not available in the requested format. Information is held at NHS trust level, and is provided in the following tables, for all categories of staff at South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Latest available information is for September 2006 and March 2007.
	
		
			  Staff in the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust by main staff group and level as at 30 September 2006 
			  South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust  headcount 
			 Total 2,141 
			   
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 972 
			 Qualified nursing staff 2 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 1 
			 Manager 63 
			 Emergency care practitioner 26 
			 Ambulance paramedic 462 
			 Ambulance technician 418 
			   
			 Support to ambulance staff 923 
			 Ambulance personnel 372 
			 Trainee ambulance technician 91 
			 Healthcare assistant 5 
			 Clerical and administrative 347 
			 Support worker 103 
			 Estates (maintenance and works, ambulances) 5 
			   
			 NHS infrastructure support 246 
			 Central functions, clerical and administrative 88 
			 Property and Estates, clerical and administrative 3 
			 Estates (maintenance and works, buildings etc) 46 
			 Senior managers 28 
			 Manager 81 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  NHS three month vacancies in South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust as at March 2007 
			 Total 7 
			 Healthcare assistants and support staff within local delivery plan definition 0 
			 Other healthcare assistants 0 
			 Administrative and clerical staff 7 
			 Ambulance staff 0 
			  Notes: 1. Vacancy data is from the Vacancies Survey 2007. 2. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March 2007. 3. Three month vacancies are vacancies which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (full time equivalents). 4. Vacancy numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.   Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Strokes: Rehabilitation

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve access to speech and language therapy for people with communication difficulties following stroke; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The National Stroke Strategy published last December sets out the vision for modernising services and delivering the newest treatments for stroke. The strategy makes clear that people who have had strokes should be able to access high-quality rehabilitation and receive support from stroke-skilled services as soon as possible after they have had a stroke, available in hospital, immediately after transfer from hospital and for as long as they need it. Stroke care networks are being developed to provide support to service providers and commissioners locally to improve the services they offer.
	The national health service has the resources to fund these changes to stroke services, having seen record levels of investment and a period of significant expansion in the workforce. There has been a 36 per cent. increase in the number of speech and language therapists (SLTs) working in the NHS, bringing the total to 6,623 (NHS staff census September 2006 headcount). The number of SLTs entering training has increased by 65 per cent. since 1998-99. We acknowledge the significant value of SLTs in the management of swallowing, speech and communication disorders following a stroke. In addition we have announced spending proposals totalling £105 million to provide national support for implementation of the National Stroke Strategy.

Suicide: Drugs

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of those who committed suicide were taking the drug roaccutane at the time of their death in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: In the United Kingdom, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) run the Yellow Card Scheme. This scheme allows health professionals and patients to report suspected adverse drug reactions, which includes suicides, on a voluntary basis. Over the last five years a total of 15 suspected adverse drug reactions of suicide have been reported in association with isotretinoin (Roaccutane) through this scheme. It is important to note that a report of an adverse drug reaction does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug. Other factors such as an underlying illness or other medicines may have contributed. Severe acne itself is known to be associated with an increased risk of depressive illness.
	The safety of isotretinoin has been closely monitored by the MHRA since it was approved in 1983. The benefits of isotretinoin in the treatment of acne are considered to outweigh the risk of adverse effects by regulatory authorities throughout Europe and worldwide.
	Warnings about the risk of depression and suicidal behaviour were added to the product information for prescribers and patients in 1998. These warnings have been strengthened following a European review of the isotretinoin product information and most recently the 'Roaccutane Patient Information Leaflet' has been subject to user testing to ensure that the information, including that about risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour, is clear, comprehensive and understandable.

Surgery: Private Sector

Jim Devine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private operations were carried out in NHS premises in 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: We do not have exact figures on private operations but we do collect information on finished consultant episodes (FCEs). FCEs are different from operations because they also include other interventions such as high cost drug treatments, diagnostic imaging, testing and rehabilitation. The latest figure is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Private FCEs carried out in national health service premises 
			   Number 
			 2006-07 89,328 
			  Notes: 1. An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. 2. Data excludes a small proportion of invalid data.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care.

Working Parties

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 283W, on working parties, what  (a) working parties,  (b) task forces and  (c) steering groups were set up by his Department in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not routinely collected information centrally on working parties, task forces and steering groups. It would incur disproportionate cost to seek to identify this information retrospectively. The survey referred to in the reply given on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 263-64W was a one-off project, carried out in autumn 2006 which identified over 200 extant working parties which engaged stakeholders. For a list of those groups and the survey questions I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1009W to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley). The Department is planning to improve its information systems so that knowledge of working groups is captured routinely as a bi-product of day-to-day work.

Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority: Finance

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected financial outturn of the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority is for 2007-08.

Ann Keen: holding answer 22 February 2008
	 At quarter two 2007-08, the Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority is forecasting a financial year-end surplus of £271.5 million.

Community Relations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government have taken to tackle community tensions since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: 'Improving Opportunity Strengthening Society: The Government's strategy to increase race equality and community cohesion' (published in 2005) and its related two annual progress reports, set out some of the steps Government have taken since 1997 to tackle community tensions that can undermine community cohesion. For example in its work with partners to monitor tensions and provide support for local areas experiencing particular challenges. More recently 'The Government's Response to the Commission on Integration and Cohesion' (published in February 2008) provides a new clarity on, and commitment to, delivering cohesive and integrated communities. This includes for example: a commitment to the new public service agreement twenty-one to build cohesive, empowered and active communities; increased investment in community cohesion; and a commitment to establish specialist cohesion teams to provide advice and support to local authorities facing cohesion challenges.

Debt Collection: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many public request to order disposal applications have been received by the Government.

Parmjit Dhanda: Available records show that since 1997 the Government have received 42 public requests to order disposal under Section 98 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980. Of these, 37 have been received since 2004.

Debt Collection: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken on the public request to order disposal applications made in relation to Prescot Villas on Prescot Drive in Liverpool.

Parmjit Dhanda: In 2006 a notice was issued stating that the Secretary of State proposed to direct Liverpool city council to dispose of land at numbers 14, 16, 18 and 20 Prescott Drive. After considering the council's representations the decision was taken not to direct in respect of 20 Prescott Drive as the council had by then disposed of their interest.
	In respect of 14, 16, and 18 Prescott Drive the decision was taken not to direct at present, but that a notice of the proposal to direct should remain in place and be reviewed after 12 months (October 2007) in order to give the council time to resolve land issues, finalise redevelopment plans and make tangible progress towards the development of the land.
	In December 2007 Government office officials met with Liverpool city council to look at progress and consider whether a new notice should be issued. The Secretary of State will shortly be considering what further action to take.

Disabled Facilities Grants: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was awarded in disabled facilities grants in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2006-07; and what the average size of grant was in that period.

Iain Wright: In 2006-07 Newcastle upon Tyne city council was awarded £693,000 from Communities and Local Government to contribute towards their disabled facilities grant (DFG) programme.
	Authorities submit data to the Department on DFG expenditure and the number of grants through the annual housing strategy statistical appendix (HSSA). The 2006-07 return is due to be published shortly. The latest available data is for 2005-06, where the average size of grant was £,500.

Fire Services: Buildings

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account her Department took of shift patterns in determining the size of regional fire control centres.

Parmjit Dhanda: None, shift patterns have no material impact on the size of the Regional Control Centres. The size of the buildings was based primarily on the number of staff required to provide a resilient 24 hour operation.
	Shift patterns for regional control centre staff will be the responsibility of the eight regional Local Authority Control Companies and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA).

Fire Services: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what factors she took into account in determining the grant award to  (a) North Yorkshire fire authority and  (b) Humberside fire authority for 2008-09 to 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The distribution of formula grant takes into account the relative needs and potential to raise income locally (resources) of an authority, relative to all other authorities providing the same service. It also contains a central allocation and a floor damping mechanism.
	For fire and rescue authorities, the needs component is measured through the Fire and Rescue Relative Needs Formula (RNF) and the Capital Finance RNF. The Fire and Rescue RNF takes into account the resident population, coastline, deprivation, high risk sites, property and societal risk and community fire safety. The capital finance RNF takes into account assumed outstanding debt and supported capital expenditure (revenue).
	The resources element uses a measure of the council tax base (number of band D equivalent properties).
	The Government consulted on the formula grant distribution system between the 17 July and the 10 October 2007, and on the provisional grant settlements for the next three years from 6 December 2007 to 8 January 2008. I announced the 2008-09 and provisional 2009-10 and 2010-11 settlements on the 24 January 2008. Within this, I confirmed that:
	 (a) North Yorkshire fire and rescue authority also receive £1.71 million, £1.5 million and £1.3 million from the floor damping mechanism in respective years. This will ensure that they receive increases of 1 per cent., 0.5 per cent. and 0.5 per cent. in grant on a like for like basis respectively; and
	 (b) Humberside fire authority also contribute £2.1 million, £1.5 million and £1 million to the floor damping mechanism in respective years. However, they receive increases of 5.8 per cent., 3.5 per cent. and 3.3 per cent. in grant on a like for like basis respectively.

Fire Services: Procurement

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what risk assessment her Department and Firebuy have undertaken of the decision to sign the integrated cloth project managed service contract; and what conclusions have been drawn.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 22 February 2008
	The fully managed service and purchase with managed services elements of the Integrated Clothing Project contract are expected to be signed this month between the service provider and Firebuy Ltd. The purchase only element of the contract was signed in October 2007. The decision to proceed to contract signature was made following a full assessment of the benefits and risks.

Government Offices for the Regions: Manpower

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff are employed by the Government office for  (a) the east of England, (b) the east midlands,  (c) London,  (d) the north-east,  (e) north-west,  (f) south-east,  (g) south-west and  (h) Yorkshire and the Humber; what each office's expenditure was in each of the last five years; and what the total staffing cost was for each office in the last year for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: The staffing information (as at January 2008) is as follows:
	 (a) the East of England: 189;
	 (b) the East Midlands: 193;
	 (c) London: 241;
	 (d) the North East: 238;
	 (e) North West: 267;
	 (f ) South East: 259;
	 (g) South West; 246; and
	 (h) Yorkshire and the Humber: 220.
	The running cost expenditure for each of the offices for the last five years is as set out in the following table.
	
		
			 £000 
			 GO 2002-03 2003-04 L2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 
			 East 9,355.85 12,841.51 15,075.61 13,296.12 12,211.64 
			 East Midlands 8,713.24 11,153.67 11,937.13 12,530.66 11,490.17 
			 London 14,038.84 16,654.91 18,870.09 18,483.70 17,595.20 
			 North East 9,954.46 12,167.24 13,887.09 13,138.16 12,730.25 
			 North West 15,523.52 16,808.94 17,777.86 17,745.45 16,933.67 
			 South East 10,874.74 14,099.03 14,372.51 14,624.51 13,677.13 
			 South West 11,860.77 13,960.23 14,724.92 14,823.08 14,570.49 
			 Yorks and the Humber 10,943.77 12,4870.23 13,453.18 13,494.30 10,676.64 
		
	
	The total staffing costs in 2006-07 were as follows:
	 (a) the East of England: £9,710,710;
	 (b) the East Midlands: £9,308,430;
	 (c) London : £13,230,880;
	 (d) the North East: £10,271,150;
	 (e) North West: £12,924,880;
	 (f) South East: £11,647,190;
	 (g) South West: £10,780,010; and
	 (h) Yorkshire and the Humber: £9,574,780.

Home Information Packs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many representations have been received calling for a home information pack to be required prior to marketing.

Caroline Flint: We have received a range of representations about HIPs including in relation to the current first day marketing provision. We continue to welcome such representations as HIPs bed in and we move towards a permanent state of implementation.

Housing

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008, to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield,  Official Report, columns 1527-28W, on housing, how many domestic dwellings were on the valuation list in each year since the establishment of council tax.

John Healey: Details of the number of domestic dwellings on the valuation list are published each year in "Local Government Financial Statistics (LGFS) England".
	The information for 1993 was published in LGFS No. 4: 1990-91 to 1993-94, for 1994 in LGFS No. 5: 1994, for 1995 in LGFS No. 6: 1995, for 1996 in LGFS No. 7: 1996, for 1997 in LGFS No. 8: 1997, for 1998 in LGFS No. 9: 1998, for 1999 in LGFS No. 10: 1999, for 2000 in LGFS No. 11: 2000, for 2001 in LGFS No. 12: 2001 and for 2002 to 2006 in LGFS No. 17: 2007.
	These publications are in the Library of the House and LGFS Nos. 11, 12 and 17 are also available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/fmance/stats/index.htm
	The data are provided by the Valuation Office Agency.

Housing: Debt

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the historic housing debt remaining at the latest available date; what rate of interest was charged on that date; how much has been written off for  (a) stock transfer and  (b) large scale voluntary transfers since 2000; and what the cost is of treating the remaining debt in the same fashion as that in transfers.

Caroline Flint: No distinction is drawn between 'historic debt' entered into to build councils' housing stock and 'new debt' entered into to pay for decent homes. The total assumed housing debt in 2007-08 is £17.3 billion. The interest on debt is governed by each council's Consolidated Rate of Interest (CRI). The CRI is different for each authority and depends upon the number, value and period of the various loans they have negotiated individually. The average CRI for 2007-08 is 6.17 per cent.
	If a local authority's attributable housing debt is not cleared either in part or in entirety by receipts from a registered social landlord (RSL) through large scale voluntary transfer arrangements, the debt that remains is transferred from the local authority sector to central Government through a payment made to the Public Works Loan Board. Overhanging debt payments to the Public Works Loans Board under these debt transfer arrangements since 2000 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2000-01 276 
			 2001-02 0 
			 2002-03 548 
			 2003-04 91 
			 2004-05 591 
			 2005-06 386 
			 2006-07 544 
			 Total 2,436 
		
	
	A payment of £17.3 billion would be required to be made to the PWLB to transfer the remaining housing debt to the Exchequer.

Job Creation: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many jobs were directly created by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund in Newcastle in 2006-07; and what proportion of these were for residents of  (a) Newcastle and  (b) priority areas of the fund.

John Healey: In 2006-07 the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) was pooled within the Local Area Agreement (LAA). NRF was un-ringfenced and eligible areas were free to use this funding in ways that would contribute to narrowing the gap between the most deprived areas and the rest within each district. Performance was monitored across six key themes—crime, education, health, worklessness, housing and liveability.
	It is not possible to determine exactly how many jobs were created as a direct consequence of NRF use in Newcastle.

Job Creation: Working Neighbourhoods Fund

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued on the recording of jobs created directly in Working Neighbourhood Fund priority areas.

John Healey: The Working Neighbourhoods Fund will be paid as part of the new Area Based Grant—a non-ringfenced general grant—from April 2008. In accordance with the freedoms and flexibilities afforded to local authorities through the local government White Paper we will not be placing any additional burdens on local authorities to report on the use of any part of the grant outside of the 198 National Indicators. Performance on tackling worklessness will be monitored as part of these 198 indicators but not specifically the number of jobs created.

Land

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether public requests to order disposal can be applied to land owned by  (a) Government Departments and their agencies,  (b) the Crown Estate,  (c) regional development agencies,  (d) English Partnerships and  (e) the British Rail Residual Body.

Parmjit Dhanda: Part 10 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980 makes provision for the disposal of public land, including the specific public request to order disposal (PROD) power. Schedule 16 of the Act lists the specific bodies to whom part 10 of the Act applies.
	The five bodies listed in the question are not listed in schedule 16 of the Act and therefore public requests to order disposal cannot be applied to any land owned by these bodies, apart from one small exception. English Partnerships is a single operational entity which brings together the Urban Regeneration Agency and the Commission for the New Towns; however these two bodies continue to exist legally. The Commission for the New Towns is listed in schedule 16 of the Act as a body to whom part 10 applies. If it could be proven that the land in question was owned by The Commission for the New Towns then the public request to order disposal could be applied to that land.

Local Authorities: Equality

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government have taken to assist local authorities in tackling gender pay gaps among their employees.

John Healey: Central Government have recently increased the financial flexibility available to local authorities to meet their equal pay obligations and to speed up progress on delivering equal pay. On 5 February, we announced that the Government will continue to support councils to meet their equal pay obligations through a further equal pay capitalisation round in 2008-09. This builds on the £500 million issued 46 authorities on 28 September 2007 for the current financial year. These directions were issued much earlier in the financial year than previous capitalisation directions to facilitate better financial planning and to maintain the momentum already achieved.

Local Government Finance: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the area based grant for 2008-09 will be for each Tyne and Wear local authority; and how much its various predecessor grants were for those authorities in 2007-08.

John Healey: The Government published allocations of the area based grant (ABG) at individual authority level on a three year basis alongside the local government finance settlement 2008-09 to 2010-11. Full details of the allocations, as at the time of the settlement, are available on the Communities and Local Government website:
	http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/0809/specgrant.htm
	The 2008-09 Allocations for Tyne and Wear authorities for the period 2008-09 are:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 Gateshead 17.187 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 21.978 
			 North Tyneside 10.533 
			 South Tyneside 20.655 
			 Sunderland 25.188 
		
	
	Area based grant is a new non-ring fenced general grant which comprises some 40 funding streams from seven Government Departments including my own, three of which are new and 37 of which were previously paid as specific grants. 2007-08 allocations of the 37 predecessor grants are not held in one place at individual local authority level and it would incur disproportionate costs to collate the information. A list of the former specific grants moved into ABG is available on our website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/rsg_abg.pdf

Olympic Games 2012: Essex

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if the Minister for the East of England will visit  (a) Essex and  (b) Colchester to discuss potential involvement with the 2012 Olympics.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Minister for the East of England will be visiting Essex in July to meet with the county council and has asked for the Olympics to be placed on the agenda.
	I, and the Minister for the East of England, understand that partners in Essex are well engaged with the Olympics nations and regions structures that are in place. I am also aware of the efforts Colchester has made to engage and recognise opportunities by forming a 2012 Partnership Group and submitting an application for a pre-games training camp.
	The Minister for the East of England currently has no plans to visit Colchester but she would be pleased to consider any further information about how Colchester plan to be involved in the 2012 Olympics.

Planning

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how often the expert panels on  (a) housing markets and planning,  (b) neighbourhoods, cities and regions and  (c) housing and communities have met since being established; and whether their advice is made public.

Parmjit Dhanda: Each of the expert panels had separate launch events, to which all panel members were invited. However, the primary role of the expert panels is for individual panel members to provide advice on the topics in which they specialise, either through attending relevant policy seminars or undertaking customised pieces of research in order to meet the Department's short term information needs. As such, the panels do not meet formally.
	The lead members for each expert panel are developing bespoke websites in order to disseminate the outputs of the respective panels. The membership of the expert panels was provided in response to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 5 February 2008 , Official Report, columns 1020-21W.

Regeneration

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the report on Alternatives to Casino-led regeneration; on what date the report  (a) was commissioned,  (b) was originally scheduled for publication and  (c) is now expected to be published; and what the cost of producing the report is.

John Healey: The Review of Alternative Approaches to regional casino-led regeneration will be published shortly.
	In July, the Prime Minister said that the Government would consider the question of whether deprived areas could be equally well served by other forms of regeneration than the development of regional casinos. As a part of this process, an interdepartmental working group was set up, the first meeting of which was held on 9 August 2007.
	Civil servants have to date devoted a significant amount of time to the investigation of alternatives to regional casino-led regeneration, although the review has not had a specifically dedicated resource. In addition, there has been a cost of approximately £3,000 for the Expert Panel members' time to peer review the document.

Supporting People Programme: Finance

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of recent trends in Supporting People funding in respect of domestic violence  (a) refuge provision,  (b) women only services and  (c) black and minority ethnic women services.

Iain Wright: In 2005-06, over £59 million of Supporting People funding was used to provide housing-related support for victims of domestic violence. In 2006-07, the most recent year for which figures are available, that figure had risen to over £61 million. Services are commissioned by top-tier local authorities to meet local needs. The Government have not assessed the funding to specific types of services to which my hon. Friend refers.

Thames Gateway: Resignations

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the reasons for the resignation of Judith Armitt, chief executive of the Thames Gateway; and whether Ministers in her Department were consulted by Ms. Armitt on her decision prior to its announcement.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) on 7 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1324W.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answers of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1034-5W, on urban areas: sustainable development, what measures, rules, codes of practice, or other guidelines are in place on transparency and propriety her Department's dealings with property developers in relation to eco-towns; how much financial or other assistance has been received in sponsorship for eco-town events by property developers in Micheldever in the last 12 months; how much is expected in the next 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: All Government officials are bound by the obligations set out in the Civil Service Code. The forthcoming public consultation on eco-towns will be undertaken in line with the Government's Code of Practice on consultations.
	The Government have received no sponsorship or financial support from private developers for eco-towns events it has held, and will not be receiving any future support. Any funding received by a non-government organisation for eco-towns events is a matter for that organisation.

Revenue and Customs: Buildings

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fees were paid to private contractors for the operation and maintenance of buildings occupied by HM Revenue and Customs in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs paid £295 million to PFI Contractors in the financial year 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007. This included the cost of provision of over 700 properties under PFI contracts as well as their operation and maintenance.

Youth Initiatives

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to further engage local communities in initiatives to divert young people from anti-social or criminal behaviour.

Vernon Coaker: The Government funds various initiatives, for instance Positive Futures and Positive Activities for Young People, which exist to divert young people from a number of negative outcomes, including becoming involved in crime and antisocial behaviour. Local authorities have discretion over how they use funding to deliver projects most appropriate for both their young people and their local communities.

Asylum: Sudan

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the findings of her Department's inquiry into the alleged illegal interviews of Darfuris with an active asylum case by a Sudanese embassy official in Home Office facilities in March and April 2007 will be published.

Liam Byrne: Investigations are currently still ongoing and we expect to reach a conclusion in the near future. Until the investigation is completed, the Agency will not be in a position to comment.

Crime Prevention

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to reduce crime in and around schools in  (a) England and  (b) Enfield.

Vernon Coaker: Nationally, the Government are committed to improving the life chances of children and young people, by having fewer young people affected by crime and reduce youth victimisation.
	The main initiative to tackle crime on and around school premises has been the Safer School Partnerships (SSPs) originally launched in 2002.
	SSPs are a successful mechanism for ensuring structured joint working between schools and police, to identify and support children and young people regarded as being at high risk of victimisation, offending and social exclusion. There are now about 500 SSPs of one form or another across the country. Evaluations have shown that they are proving effective in improving behaviour and attendance, developing strong and positive relationships between the police and young people, and to help young people develop a sense of being part of the local community.
	Because of the proven success of SSPs, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has been working closely with the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Youth Justice Board (YJB) to encourage more schools and police to engage in this type of early intervention and preventative work which is so vital to achieving the outcomes we are all committed to.
	There is already a great deal of work going on across Government to tackle offenders and help vulnerable young people achieve the Every Child Matters outcome to 'Stay Safe'. Initiatives include Youth Inclusion Support Panels and the Youth Inclusion Programme. And since 2004, we have invested over £45 million in Youth Offending Teams which have pioneered antisocial behaviour prevention activities for young people at most risk. Their work includes:
	Youth Inclusion Support Panels and;
	Youth Inclusion Programmes.
	The Home Office has invested in other prevention programmes such as Positive Futures. Around 22,000 young people are currently involved in Positive Futures projects nationwide.
	In Enfield there are numerous schemes available to support and divert young people from crime and disorder which contribute to reducing crime in and around schools.
	Enfield has the largest secondary school population in London, including 11 per cent. of pupils who travel into the borough to attend school and as a result, it has one of the largest Safer Schools teams in the Met. This ensures that every secondary school in the borough has a dedicated officer. This team also runs activities in the half term and holidays for youth diversion purposes.
	Through the Enfield Strategic Partnership, the borough secured the funding for a dedicated Police Youth Inspector and Sergeant to co-ordinate Youth Activity across the borough. It also has Safer Neighbourhood Teams who run youth clubs, boxing clubs and football clubs.
	The Youth Offending Service (YOS) runs the YISP scheme that all bodies can refer into for eight to 17-year-olds. There is also the Kickz project run jointly by the Football Foundation (Spurs) and Metropolitan Police in one part of the borough and very soon there will be a second site. On top of this, Enfield uses LAA funding (previously) Safer and Stronger Communities Funding to provide various youth diversion and enforcement activities (e.g. knife arch purchases, youth diversion work, funding for boxing, judo, clubs, street pastors and so on).

Departmental Data Protection

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  on how many occasions there have been data security breaches in her Department in the last year;
	(2)  on how many occasions officials in her Department and its agencies have been disciplined for breaching departmental guidelines on data security in the last 12 months;
	(3)  how many times officials in her Department and its agencies have been disciplined for breaching the terms of the Data Protection Act in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: Except in exceptional cases, when it is in the public interest, it has been the policy of successive governments not to comment on breaches of security.

Departmental ICT

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what obligations her Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

Liam Byrne: Home Department contracts include obligations on the contractor to comply with legislative requirements such as the Data Protection Act and these are set out in our model terms and conditions. Those contracts with ICT obligations have more specific audit requirements incorporated into their contracts. All personal data are to be protected in accordance with legislative requirements.
	The individual business units within the Home Department develop and review policy, procedures and processes with regard to their own security and data handling requirements and central guidance and policies such as that issued by the Cabinet Office.

Foreign Workers: Doctors

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of doctors who settled in the United Kingdom in 2007 were  (a) non-EU and  (b) EU foreign nationals.

Liam Byrne: EEA nationals are entitled to free movement and do not require leave to settle in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the requested percentages cannot be calculated.

Identity and Passport Service: Data Protection

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of  (a) data loss and  (b) data security breaches reported in the Identity and Passport Service and its predecessor agencies in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: Except in exceptional cases, when it is in the public interest, it has been the policy of successive governments not to comment on breaches of security.

Migrant Workers

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home 
	(1)  Department (10 how many people from  (a) Cyprus,  (b) the Czech Republic,  (c) Estonia,  (d) Hungary,  (e) Latvia,  (f) Lithuania,  (g) Malta,  (h) Poland,  (i) Slovakia and  (j) Slovenia held UK working visas on 1 May 2004, broken down by type of visa; and what guidance is provided to such people on steps they are required to take once their visas have expired if they want to keep working in the UK;
	(2)  what guidance her Department provided to employers on the legal implications of employing individuals from member states who joined the EU on 1 May 2004;
	(3)  how many people from  (a) Cyprus,  (b) the Czech Republic,  (c) Estonia,  (d) Hungary,  (e) Latvia,  (f) Lithuania,  (g) Malta,  (h) Poland,  (i) Slovakia and  (j) Slovenia have left the worker registration scheme having worked in the UK continuously for 12 months.

Liam Byrne: Information on the number of nationals from the 2004 accession states who held a UK working visa on 1 May 2004 could be obtained only by detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	The Home Office has published guidance on the worker registration scheme for 'A8' nationals, those from the 2004 accession states excluding Cyprus and Malta, and employers. This includes a booklet entitled "Living and Working in the UK", detailing their rights and responsibilities from 1 May 2004. This is available on the Border and Immigration Agency website:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/workingintheuk/wrsleaflet
	A copy will be placed in the House Library.
	The number of 'A8' nationals who have left the worker registration scheme is not known as there is no requirement to "de-register" once an individual has worked in the UK continuously for 12 months. The "Accession Monitoring Report May 2004 to September 2007" gives information on 'A8' nationals and their intended length of stay. This is available on the Border and Immigration Agency website:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/Reports/accession_monitoring_report/
	A copy is available in the House Library.
	Nationals of Cyprus and Malta are not required to register on the worker registration scheme and are not subject to those conditions placed on nationals from the 'A8' countries.

Naturalisation: Assessments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much providing citizenship tests in Essex cost the public purse in the last year for which figures are available; and how many such applicants were successful.

Liam Byrne: The Department has a commercial contract with the University of Life (Ufi) to provide the Life in the UK test. Candidates taking the Life in the UK test pay a fee of £34 to the test centre. There is no limit on how many times a candidate may take the test and the fee is payable each time a test is taken. The fee is set at a level to meet the costs of delivering the overall testing service. There are currently no plans to change the fee.
	Test results are recorded against the test centre where the test is taken, but it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the figures for Essex. Candidates may take the test at any test centre, but it is known that many candidates take the test at a location convenient to their place of employment rather than their place of residence.

PricewaterhouseCoopers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payments were made to PricewaterhouseCoopers by her Department in each financial year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Information on the total value of the Department's payments, inclusive of its agencies, made to PricewaterhouseCoopers is available from 2004-05 following the introduction of the Department's ERP system. Earlier data could be collected only at disproportionate cost. The information held by the Department is as follows:
	
		
			   Payments made to PricewaterhouseCoopers (£) 
			 2004-05 2,380,974 
			 2005-06 2,361,723 
			 2006-07 4,910,425

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by her Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each year.

Liam Byrne: The Department makes use of vehicles from the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA), the HM Prison Service Transport Unit and the vehicles of staff members used in the course of their official duties.
	For the GCDA I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1014-5W, by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport.
	For the HMPS Transport Unit the following tables gives shows the traffic penalties received for Crown vehicles over the last two years, the only years available. These figures cover both Home Office and HMPS usage:
	
		
			  Traffic penalties 
			   Notices of intended prosecution ( s peeding)  Penalty Charge Notices (p arking) 
			 2006 94 46 
			 2007 52 41 
		
	
	Data on the split of penalties between Home Office and HMPS per the above are not available. However usage of the vehicles is approximately split 40 per cent. Home Office, 60 per cent HMPS.
	Penalty charge notices are forwarded immediately onto the driver for payment, while notices of intended prosecution for speeding are returned to the relevant authority with the name and address of the driver. They then contact them direct regarding payment of fines or issue of penalty points. The Department therefore does not have any details regarding the total costs involved.
	Lease vehicles are also provided by HMPS Transport Unit, however information on these could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Penalties incurred by staff members using their own vehicles while on official duty are the responsibility of the individuals concerned. The Department does not hold records of these penalties.

Surveillance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether any warrants have been granted for intrusive surveillance of  (a) hon. Members and  (b) Members of the House of Lords under section 32 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 since 2001;
	(2)  whether any warrants have been granted for directed surveillance of  (a) hon. Members and  (b) Members of the House of Lords under section 28 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 since 2001.

Tony McNulty: It has been the established policy of successive governments neither to confirm nor deny allegations concerning whether or not there have been covert activities by intelligence or security agencies or the police.

Education Maintenance Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect of the educational maintenance allowance on school attainment; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: An LSC commissioned analysis of "The Impact of the EMA pilots on participation and attainment in post compulsory education" (IFS November 2007, Haroon Chowdry; Lorraine Dearden; Carl Emmerson) found that EMA increased attainment at Level 2 and Level 3 by around 2 ppts for male learners and 2.5 ppts for female learners. When looking at the impact on actual recipients, the report estimates this equates to an impact on attainment (at Levels 2 and 3) of 7 ppts for female, and 5 ppts for male, EMA recipients. The full report was placed in the House Library, on 3 December 2007.

Aimhigher Initiative

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department spent on the Aim Higher Initiative in each year since 2004.

Bill Rammell: Available expenditure for the Aimhigher programme for each year since 2004 to date is:
	
		
			   Expenditure for Aimhigher programme (£ million) 
			 2004-05 136 
			 2005-06 102 
			 2006-07 87 
			 2007-08 80 
		
	
	Aimhigher remains a central part of the Government's plans to widen participation in higher education (HE), and we have been happy to support it for a further period, to 2011.

Departmental Manpower

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of staff in his Department dealing with universities are graduates of Oxford or Cambridge university.

David Lammy: While the Department is collecting information about professional skills as part of the Skills Audit which is being undertaken, the survey does not ask for the origin of university degrees and we do not currently have a record of what proportion of staff in DIUS (or DCSF) dealing with universities are graduates of Oxford or Cambridge universities.
	This information could be gathered only at disproportional cost.

Departmental Marketing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many DIUS-branded plastic bags his Department has procured, and at what cost, since it was created.

David Lammy: DIUS has not produced any plastic bags with DIUS branding since the department was created.

Departmental NDPBs

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the  (a) budget and  (b) remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department; who the chairman is of each; and to what salary, including bonuses and expenses, each chairman is entitled.

David Lammy: Details of the budget and remit of each non-departmental public body (NDPB) for which my Department is responsible, with the name of the chairman and their remuneration, is published in the relevant Department's Annual Report 2007 and in Public Bodies 2007.
	For DIUS NDPBs which were formerly the responsibility of DfES, this information can be found on the DCSF website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/pdfs/deptreport2007.pdf
	and
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ndpb/
	The following NDPBs are the responsibility of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills:
	Construction Skills;
	Engineering Construction Industry Training Board;
	Higher Education Funding Council for England;
	Investors in People;
	Learning and Skills Council;
	Office for Fair Access;
	Quality Improvement Agency;
	Student Loans Company;
	Sector Skills Development Agency.
	British Hallmarking Council (part of NWML);
	Design Council;
	Technology Strategy Board.
	Research Councils:
	Arts and Humanities Research Council;
	Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council;
	Economic and Social Research Council;
	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council;
	Medical Research Council;
	Natural Environment Research Council
	Science and Technology Facilities Council.
	Council for Science and Technology;
	Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property;
	National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts—from DCMS.
	Information on NDPBs formerly the responsibility of the DTI is published in their Public Bodies Report, which can be found at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/about/strategy-objectives/annual-spending/page40391.html
	Information on chairmen's bonuses are contained in each NDPB's annual report and accounts, which are normally available on the body's website. Composite information is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Stationery

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much letterheaded notepaper his Department has bought which is headed with both Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and Department for Children, Schools and Families headers; and at what cost.

David Lammy: Central records held by the Department do not indicate how much letter headed paper which is specifically jointly headed has been acquired by the Department.

Appeals: Incapacity Benefits

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 298W, on incapacity benefits appeals, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of upheld appeals lodged against an incapacity benefit personal capability assessment.

Bridget Prentice: The Tribunals Service works with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), with whom appeals are lodged regarding decisions on incapacity benefit, to improve original decision making on an ongoing basis.
	In accordance with S81 of the Social Security Act 1998 the president of the Social Security and Child Support Appeals Tribunal provides an annual report on the standards of decision making by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The Tribunals Service is currently working with DWP officials specifically to improve original decision making and the appeals process for all Jobcentre Plus benefits, including incapacity benefit. This includes reviewing decision making processes and developing standards for submissions made by Jobcentre Plus staff for the tribunal.